


Evil Author's Day 2016: Lunar Rainbows

by Moirae_Maat



Series: The In-Progress, the Incomplete, & the Implausible [1]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Evil Author's Day, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-15
Updated: 2016-02-15
Packaged: 2018-05-21 00:25:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 29,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6031372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moirae_Maat/pseuds/Moirae_Maat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Evil Author's Day Post. A series of KnB stories all loosely based on the same premise: Lunar Rainbows.</p><p>In the dark of the night, when the moon is full and the sky is clear, moonbeams make faint rainbows in the mist.</p><p>Kuroko shines like the full moon on the longest night of the year, brilliant in the darkest hour before the dawn. Aomine is as pervasive and untamable as mist, as free and formless as the air he breathes.</p><p>These are the rare lunar rainbows they create and the dancing shadows that are the repercussions of their actions.</p><p>This is what they could have been.</p><p>If Aomine Daiki still loved the game…<br/>If Kuroko Tetsuya refused to surrender…<br/>Tōō is blessed beyond all reason.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Point of No Return

**Author's Note:**

> Don't own, un-beta'd, and unfinished. It's been sitting on my hard drive for a while now and I figured I'd post it for EAD. Enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If Aomine Daiki still loved the game…
> 
> If Kuroko Tetsuya refused to surrender…
> 
> They stand together past the point of no return and nothing can avoid their inescapable gravity.
> 
> Tōō was trapped from the start.

1\. Aomine Daiki lives his life by two mottos. Everyone knows the first: “The only one that can beat me is me.” He’s never spoken the second aloud. He never will.

2\. …

3\. Teiko wins the championship in their second year with little trouble and even less effort. The otherwise infuriating antics of the twins might as well be the buzzing of flies in light of that fact.

4\. Daiki doesn’t even bother to show up for school the next morning.

5\. …

6\. The entirety of the Generation of Miracles is made of super-giants, rare stars that burn so bright they can be seen hundreds of thousands of light years away.

7\. Imayoshi watches them at Nationals and wonders when they’ll go supernova, wonders if they’re already burning so bright because they’re imploding in on themselves, using everything they have until there is nothing left. The Tōō captain debates if recruiting any of them would even be worth the hassle and smiles. None of them have the gravitational promise of a black hole, but better safe than sorry; Aomine fits Tōō’s objectives just fine.

8\. Daiki narrows his eyes as an old guy with dark wavy hair approaches him after the game. A smiling dark-haired teen in glasses and a neat blue-grey blazer with a black and red striped tie follows.

9\. Imayoshi smiles, ever so polite, and sets the bait. “You’re too delicate.”

10\. “Delicate.” Daiki snorts. “You think I’m delicate? Have you seen Kise?”

11\. “I believe Kise will be attending Kaijo this spring.” The captain’s smile sharpens. “And we want Teikō’s ace.”

12\. …

13\. Daiki looks around the gym and frowns when he can’t find Tetsu. They promised they’d go to the same school and his partner’s not here.

14\. He stomps over to Satsuki and spends the next twenty minutes slouching against the wall and glaring at Tōō’s players until she can break away from her data gathering.

15\. Satsuki reaches over and pats Dai-chan’s arm. “If you’re not going to practice today, why don’t you go take a nap on the stage instead of glaring at everyone.”

16\. Daiki shifts his glare to his childhood friend. “Tetu’s not here.”

17\. Momoi raises an eyebrow. “Of course not. He switched his declaration less than a month into our third year.”

18\. Daiki freezes. “What?”

19\. “You said you didn't need him,” Satsuki's glare pins him in place, “and he took you at your word.”

20\. “Nice try Satsuki.” Daiki relaxes against the wall with a scoff. “Tetsu never takes me seriously when I say stuff like that.”

21\. “He does when your actions back them up.” Satsuki’s hands tighten on her notebook and she aborts a movement to bash Dai-chan over the head. Brain damage won’t make her childhood friend any smarter.

22\. “I'm playing the same as I did last year,” Daiki scowls and catches a misaimed ball before it hits Satsuki. He rotates the ball around his wrist, rolls it across his chest, and then sinks a shot from his position behind the backboard with a savage grin. “Only better.”

23\. Satsuki doesn't even bother to look up. “Exactly.”

24\. Wakamatsu aims a basketball at Aomine's head for interrupting practice, but the ace absently catches it and sets it to spinning on his finger. “Satsuki, you're not making any sense.”

25\. “When was the last time you passed to Tetsu-kun?” Momoi tosses over her shoulder as she walks away.

26\. Daiki opens his mouth to shout his reply at her retreating back, but has to stop when he can’t recall the last time he passed to anyone, much less Tetsu.

27\. The power forward stomps after Satsuki. So what if he hasn’t passed to anyone recently, that’s still no reason for Tetsu to go to a different school. He can carry a team without any help, but Tetsu promised and, damn it all, the game is more fun when Tetsu’s on the court. It’s not like anyone else is good enough to be Tetsu’s light anyway.

28\. The coach and captain eye Momoi warily when she waves Aomine off in the middle of practice with a cheerful smile and a jaunty wish to “have fun!”

29\. She looks back at them with innocent eyes and blinks. “Is something wrong?”

30\. Imayoshi pastes a polite smile on his face and focuses on the manager with startling intensity. “Well…”

31\. The coach voices the question the captain is too polite to ask. “I thought you were supposed to keep him in line?”

32\. Satsuki can’t help but break down laughing. When she finally looks up, she has tears of mirth in her eyes and a smile on her face. “Oh, no, I do retroactive damage control. If you want preventative measures, you’ll have to talk to Tetsu-kun.”

33\. Imayoshi opens his eyes and smiles. “And who is this ‘Tetsu-kun?’”

34\. Satsuki smiles soft and sweet. “Kuroko Tetsuya-kun is Dai-chan’s shadow.”

35\. Imayoshi takes a step forward as the coach fades into the background. Running afoul of Aomine’s temper is not in his plans. Neither is being accused of impropriety.

36\. The captain’s smile widens. “His shadow?”

37\. This time her smile is edged with an odd sort of pity as she explains. “His partner from Teikō.”

38\. “If he had a partner, we would have recruited them as well,” the coach interjects with a frown. “Aomine was a one-man wrecking crew last year.”

39\. Momoi’s smile turns tense and stiff. “Well, I never claimed he was the smartest apple in the bunch, but he certainly is the strongest.”

40\. The coach smiles. “Of course, that’s why we recruited him.”

41\. Momoi purses her lips. “Well, you should have gotten the full set.”

42\. “The full set?” Imayoshi tilts his head slightly and his smile widens. “Ah, you mean this Kuroko Tetsuya. Would you happen to know which school he’s attending?”

43\. The pink-haired manager opens her mouth to reply, pauses, and bites her lip instead. “Tomorrow’s practice should be interesting.”

44\. Imayoshi pauses at the non sequitur. “Ah, why do you think that?”

45\. Momoi smiles and something in her expression makes the coach take a step forward. “Just a feeling.”

46\. The manager wiggles her fingers at the duo and all but skips away from them as the coach and captain share a confused look. It isn’t hard to avoid them for the rest of practice and Satsuki smiles as she slips a few sheets of paper into her notes. She’ll fill them out tonight, just in case.

47\. When Kuroko spots Kagami shooting baskets on his way home from practice, he pauses and slips inside the fence.

48\. …

49\. “If you want a challenge,” a tanned teen strolls onto the court, “then why don’t you try me?”

50\. Kagami narrows his eyes at the new challenger and the misma of power that follows him. “And who are you?”

51\. “Aomine Daiki,” the other teen smirks. “Generation of Miracles.”

52\. Kagami hefts the ball in one hand and his chin goes up in challenge. “What position do you play?”

53\. Daiki darts a look at Tetsu. “Power forward.”

54\. Kagami grins and there’s no doubt he’s looking forward to the challenge. “Then this should be a good game.”

55\. It isn’t.

56\. Daiki almost yawns as he slips past the redhead and slams the ball through the hoop. For all that he talks a good game, this one isn’t a challenge either. He’s certainly not good enough to be Tetsu’s partner.

57\. The blue-haired teen smirks as he tosses the ball over his shoulder. “And now I’ll take my prize”

58\. Daiki looks around the empty court and frowns when he can’t find Tetsu. He shrugs. “I guess I’ll pick him up in the morning.”

59\. “Dai-chan, what did you do?!” Satsuki shrieks as Dai-chan saunters into morning practice with Tetsu-kun tossed over his shoulder.

60\. “Not now Satsuki,” Daiki waves her off absently. “I’m busy.”

61\. The rest of the Tōō team just watches in shock as their ace carefully carries a teal-haired teen over to a corner and sets him on the ground. Aomine blocks their view of the stranger, but it’s pretty obvious that he’s not wearing Tōō’s uniform and Imayoshi frowns. Kidnapping is not an acceptable activity for a member of the basketball club.

62\. Aomine looks down at his shadow. “Attend Tōō with me.”

63\. Kuroko gives the slightest frown. “Thank you for the offer, Aomine-kun, but I already attend Seirin.”

64\. “They’re not good enough for you.” Aomine scowls. “That idiot from last night certainly isn’t bright enough to be of any use. You need a stronger light.”

65\. Kuroko gives a polite bow. “I’m sure we’ll be fine.”

66\. Aomine looks over Kuroko’s shoulder to stare at the wall and confesses the truth. “I want to play with you again.”

67\. “I’m sure we can meet on a street court if you like,” Kuroko offers courteously. “The one from last night should work fine.”

68\. “No!” Aomine’s response is more reflex than anything else. “I want to play on the same team again.”

69\. “Aomine-kun, you don’t play on a team,” Kuroko tells his old partner. “After all, the only one that can beat you, is you.”

70\. Daiki winces. Yeah, that isn’t the best motto, even if it is true.

71\. “I am happy at Seirin,” Kuroko declares with an edge of finality as he steps forward to pass Aomine.

72\. “I’ll attend every practice with you, just like we used to,” Daiki promises. He finds practice boring, but he can and will do this for Tetsu, only ever for Tetsu.

73\. Kuroko pauses. Aomine’s tone is an odd cross between determination and desperation that Kuroko has never heard before, but his words ring true and he would have given almost anything to have Aomine say those words a year ago. 

74\. “Satsuki’s got the transfer papers and a uniform in your size,” Aomine continues quickly. “It’ll be an easy transfer.”

75\. Kuroko looks over to where Momoi is hovering just out of earshot and she waves a sheaf of papers at them with a smile.

76\. Daiki takes a deep breath. This is the point of no return and there is no turning back.

77\. “Stay here at Tōō and play with me,” Daiki entreats, and it’s as close to begging as he’ll ever get. “Let me be your light again.”

78\. Kuroko considers Aomine carefully. Their partnership was broken beyond return, but this is not the same Aomine as before, the bright light that burned too hot and too fast, the merciless beast that played at Nationals for Teikō in their third year.

79\. The smaller teen gives a polite bow and Daiki’s shoulders sag; Tetsu is politest in his refusal.

80\. “I look forward to working with you.” Tetsuya has always believed that the greatest glory can be found in rising after the fall.

81\. Daiki looks up in shock and a brilliant grin lights up his face as he extends his fist.

82\. Kuroko gives a small grin in return and bumps their fists together, because this is Aomine from their first year, before the power forward stopped loving basketball, and he knows this will be even better than Teikō.

83\. Aomine tosses an arm over Kuroko’s shoulder with a relaxed smile and tows his shadow over to where Momoi waits with a grin of her own.

84\. “Your chop here, here, and here.” Satsuki points out a few blank spots on the Tōō transfer papers and bounces on her toes with joy. She doesn’t condone the way Dai-chan clearly kidnapped Tetsu-kun and carried him into the gym, but she can’t be too mad when it means Tetsu-kun will be at Tōō with her and Dai-chan. It’s a dream come true and she’ll have to give Dai-chan a reward later. Maybe a new pair of basketball shoes?

85\. …

86\. Imayoshi looks over at Kuroko with a rather suspicious smile. “Aren’t you going to do something?”

87\. Kuroko turns to face his captain, but his expression never changes. “If he doesn’t ask for help, it would be an insult for me to offer. It would imply weakness.”

88\. Satsuki winces. Tetsu-kun has always wielded courtesy like a knife, cold and sharp and hard, both an offense and a defense against the world, but it was never this bad before their last year at Teikō and while the Generation of Miracles as a whole are guilty of causing the change, it is Dai-chan who triggered the transformation and bears the largest portion of blame.

89\. Aomine doesn’t even look over his shoulder, just extends his arm out to the side, the ball clasped in one large hand, and Kuroko can hear the smile. “Going to come out and play, Tetsu?”

90\. Something about Kuroko softens and he offers an invisible smile as he steps on the court to swipe the ball from Aomine. “It’s not polite to interrupt someone else’s game.”

91\. Aomine smirks. “When have you ever needed an invitation to play with me?”

92\. “Since the end of second year,” Kuroko offers deadpan as he hefts the ball in one hand.

93\. Daiki winces. “Yeah, well, now you’ve got an open invitation.”

94\. “Not that your little reconciliation wasn’t sweet,” their opponent buts in with a sneer, “but I’d like to start playing sometime today.”

95\. “Of course,” Kuroko nods politely as he rotates his shoulder and sends the ball straight towards the basket.

96\. Daiki grins and snatches the ball out the air to slam it home as their opponents watch in shock.

97\. Aomine tosses the ball back to Kuroko after it falls through the basket and the teal-haired teen offers it to their opponents with a placid smile. “I believe it’s your ball now?”

98\. It’s a brutal slaughter and for once Kuroko has no objections. He doesn’t approve of rude behavior and their opponents certainly have no manners worth speaking of. Facing a playful Aomine is an appropriate punishment.

99\. After the game Daiki tosses his arm over his partner’s shoulder with a wild grin. “Just like old times, right Tetsu?”

100\. “You’ve improved since then,” Kuroko responds blandly as he accepts a water bottle from Momoi and Aomine drops a towel on his head. “Thank you Momoi-san, Aomine-kun.”

101\. Aomine absently drops his jacket over Kuroko’s shoulders moments before the teen starts to shiver and doesn’t even seen to register hefting Kuroko’s gear along with his own when they leave the court.

102\. Imayoshi watches as Aomine caters to Kuroko without even thinking about it and wonders about their relationship.

103\. Now that he’s had a chance to look at some old game tapes, it’s easy to see that they were brilliant together in their first few years of junior high school, but Aomine burned too bright, too fast, too far, and left Kuroko behind without a second thought. Imayoshi wonders if this was how they behaved before the Generation of Miracles became legendary on the basketball circuit or if it’s just one more way Aomine is trying to compensate for his previous negligence.

104\. He decides it’s just how they interact with each other when he sees Kuroko absently catering to Aomine in a multitude of little ways that could be nothing but habits formed from dealing with the dark-skinned teen in junior high.

105\. Something in their relationship settles at that time, something unexplained but vital that makes Aomine relax and offer his hand for a fist bump, their first since Kuroko agreed to attend Tōō.

106\. Daiki waits for Tetsu’s response with an odd sort of patience. The first time might have been reflex, but this is deliberate and the final proof that they’re back to normal.

107\. Tetsuya looks at Aomine-kun and extends his fist to bump his partner’s with a small smile. He made the right decision a month ago and he has no regrets.

108\. Satsuki smiles as the last little bit of tension finally leaves Dai-chan’s shoulders. Her boys are partners again and the world of senior high basketball won’t know what hit it.

109\. Oh there’s no doubt Kise’s good, Midorima’s smart, Murasakibara’s a monster, and Akashi’s a genius, but her boys might as well share a brain and there is nothing they can’t handle with her backing.

110\. …

111\. Imayoshi knows the truth, and even if he was inclined to do something about it, it wouldn’t do much good. Tōō was trapped from the start, caught in their inescapable gravity the very moment Aomine carried Kuroko into the gym.

112\. At least he has some consolation, small though it may be. The Generation of Miracles may shine brighter than any star, but even stars can fall, swallowed whole by the shadow of black holes.

113\. And no black hole is deeper than the one Kuroko Tetsuya spins around Aomine Daiki.

 

[They stand together at the heart of a singularity and nothing can avoid their inescapable gravity.]


	2. Deep Enough to Drown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If Kagami Taiga didn’t have a promise to hold him back…
> 
> If Aomine Daiki still loved the game…
> 
> If Kuroko Tetsuya refused to surrender…
> 
> Two lights make a shadow deep enough to drown champions and strong enough to strangle kings.
> 
> Tōō will never be the same.

1\. It is an undisputable fact that the Generation of Miracles is made of monsters, children so strong it borders on ridiculous. The truly terrifying thing is that they have not yet reached their limits; they will continue to grow, continue to gain strength, and one day they will stand on top of the heap and there will be no one left to stand against them.

2\. The junior high school circuit can’t wait for them to leave, and the senior high school basketball circuit dreads their arrival, but no one can deny these things:

3\. That Murasakibara Atsushi stops shots as easy as breathing and Midorima Shintarō sinks three-pointers with a smooth grace that never misses. 

4\. That Kise Ryōta only needs to see a move once to copy it and Akashi Seijūrō is a genius with no chance of losing. 

5\. That Aomine Daiki is stronger than anyone and the Phantom Sixth Player is a ghost on the court.

6\. Everyone knows these facts to be true, but very few know the way Aomine loses his joy in the game and Kuroko plays less and less with each passing match.

7\. When Kuroko holds his fist out for their usual bump and Aomine passes him without a second glance, a shiver races down his spine. This is wrong, strange, dreaded, but Tetsuya holds his head high and moves down the court like it doesn’t matter. He lets his misdirection slip a little earlier than usual, just enough that Akashi notices it’s weakening and pulls him from the court.

8\. Tetsuya sits on the bench and takes a good, long look at his teammates only to find monsters surrounding him. They’ve changed, become more callous as their talents matured, blossomed into creatures strange and powerful.

9\. Their own skills are so great now that they find no challenge in their games against other teams and everything points to the fact that they will eventually turn their sights on each other for lack of proper opponents. Tetsuya has no place in that world, no power to bring to bear against them in challenge and he will be left behind to languish in obscurity along with the concept of teamwork.

10\. But obscurity is a place filled with shadows and Tetsuya blends in there perfectly, for he is a shadow in truth and that truth is gloriously clear. Tetsuya blends into the background and his skills truly shine only when his light blazes across the court, but his light has left him now and he will not let the game he loves be defined by Teikō’s apathy.

11\. It’s a pity that his teammates will never know what they’re missing, how great they could have been, but that was not his choice and now a new path opens before him. It’s turning left when he expected to go right, going up instead of down, but the journey continues on and he will not be cowed. 

12\. For Tetsuya there is no end, only new beginnings.

13\. Tetsu skips basketball practice for the first time with a pale excuse about helping the library club reorganize their shelves and Daiki rummages through Tetsu’s locker looking for a reason. He finds a resignation slip for the basketball club. Only the first line is filled – 

14\. And the name on it is Kuroko Tetsuya.

15\. Daiki refuses to let this be the end. Every light casts a shadow and maybe his love for the game is less than Tetsu wants, but it’s still enough to tie Tetsu to him and if giving up means losing Tetsu then he will never give up. If he can’t find a challenge, he’ll make one, because he. Will. Not. Let. Tetsu. Leave. 

16\. Satsuki smiles more freely than ever at seeing Dai-chan approach Tetsu-kun again. They spend lunch on the roof just like they used to and she knows this is how they’re meant to be and she will allow nothing and no one to separate them again. Dai-chan needs Tetsu-kun to be whole, to show him the joy of the game that the Generation of Miracles has lost somewhere along the way, and she will always make sure Dai-chan has what he needs.

17\. Daiki doesn’t have to pass to Tetsu, it’d be easier to slip through the shoddy defense on his own, but he will not give up, he will not let his shadow slip through his fingers. He will make it a game within a game, a challenge that only the points he makes with Tetsu’s help count for the quota because he will not leave his shadow behind, wanting and waiting for something that will never return.

18\. Kuroko smiles as the ball falls into his hand and he sends it flying towards the hoop and Aomine’s blurring form. He is a part of the game once more, even if Aomine is the only one who passes to him, so he sinks deeper into the court, into the darkness cast by Aomine’s light, becomes Aomine’s shadow in truth and they dance together across the court like it’s their opponents who are invisible.

19\. There is something wild and wonderful about the way they play together, something intangible and true in the way Aomine trusts Kuroko to be there, in just the right place at just the right time, and Kuroko knows nothing can stop Aomine, he will always be there waiting for the ball to drop into his hands and it could not be more perfect.

20\. Imayoshi has seen them move together and it’s glorious. There’s something sleek about Aomine, something about the lazy way he walks and his dark grace on the court that screams predator and Imayoshi cannot help but shiver because the boy is truly a beast on the court and he’s seen just how deep those teeth can bite.

21\. For the court is the one place Aomine Daiki belongs, his one true element, and that could not be more apparent than the moment Kuroko slips onto the court in Teikō’s uniform. Here is the full glory of Aomine’s game revealed at last and it is beautiful.

22\. …

23\. Daiki almost throws a fit when Tetsu is injured by the twins and the only thing that stops him from slamming his fist into their faces is the frown he knows will grace Tetsu’s face when he hears Daiki got tossed out of Nationals, not to the mention the lecture he’ll get from Satsuki.

24\. …

25\. No matter how much Kuroko pleads, no one but Aomine will listen, no one but his light will take Ogiwara seriously in Nationals and he knows that will break his oldest friend’s heart.

26\. Daiki swears to face Meikō head on despite Tetsu’s absence and he means it, because he will not let his shadow leave him for another light. This Ogiwara doesn’t have his strength, but he has known Tetsu longer, has never caused a rift to grow between him and Kuroko as Daiki did earlier this year. Ogiwara’s tie to Tetsu might be stronger than Daiki’s own and that cannot be tolerated.

27\. Imayoshi watches the finals and sees something that sets his teeth on edge. There is something sharp and jagged about Aomine’s game, something hard and unnatural in the way he slips just enough to let some of Meikō pass him by but faces #7 with the majority of his skill and Imayoshi pities the team that gets Akashi because the first thing is definitely his fault and the second is most certainly Kuroko’s.

28\. Imayoshi looks to the slight teal-haired boy sitting on the sidelines and smiles. So much potential… He would offer for them both, but if Tōō could not have the Ace of the Generation of Miracles they will have its Phantom Sixth Player come hell or high water.

29\. Momoi is an unexpected bonus for Imayoshi, her notebooks full of details and plays on teams he’s never seen and people he doesn’t know, every piece of data falling into just the right place, and there is no way she will not follow Dai-chan to Tōō, especially if her precious Tetsu-kun is also attending. 

30\. Kuroko fingers the wristbands in his hands. Only Aomine had offered Ogiwara near the full measure of his skill, but the rest of the Generation of Miracles had broken his resolve and that is not something Kuroko can understand. Ogiwara has left the basketball club and that is not something Kuroko will ever do, cannot even think of doing, and that is the truth.

31\. Ogiwara understands, has promised his support, but he can no longer find the will to play, can’t find the joy in the game and Kuroko can only think how bad it might have been if Aomine had embraced Akashi’s plan and he thanks the stars that Aomine and he are partners once again for nothing else could have persuaded him. Ogiwara could not give Aomine the challenge he needs with the Generation of Miracles working against them and, lacking the full support of his team, it could not have ended any other way.

32\. No matter what Akashi says, Kuroko knows he belongs with Aomine. His light only looks like he truly enjoys the game when they’re on the court together and he will not let Aomine hate basketball. Kuroko will go to Tōō and maybe there he can find something with which to fan the flames of Aomine’s fire until the court is filled with dancing shadows.

33\. The first time Imayoshi encounters Kagami on a street court, there is chain around his neck with a ring on it. He finds it strange and thinks it might be a promise ring to a girl back home, because Americans do that and Kagami is sometimes so American it hurts.

34\. When Kagami attends his first practice at Tōō, the ring rests on the outside of his shirt and the redhead fiddles with it as he watches Aomine play. This is the challenge he’s wished for since he stepped foot on these shores, but he still doesn’t feel whole.

35\. The moment Kuroko steps onto the court, something in Aomine changes and Kagami leans forward. Watching Kuroko is like watching a magician, something unimaginable and powerful in each touch on the ball as it moves to his will, changing course and appearing from thin air to drop into Aomine’s hands like the gift Kagami knows it is. Here is the partnership he’s always wanted and he will let nothing stand in his way.

36\. He pulls off his chain and holds the ring in his hand for a moment before letting it drop to the ground. He has never let the past hold him down and he will not start now with a promise he’s never made. This is his future and nothing can stop him now.

37\. It could not be any clearer that Kagami intends to partner with Tetsu and Daiki scowls at even the hint of the idea. Tetsu is his shadow and interlopers are not only unwelcome, they will be terminated with extreme prejudice.

38\. Imayoshi smiles as he sets Aomine and Kagami on opposing teams for a quick scrimmage. Kagami has enormous potential for growth and Aomine will push him harder and harder until Kagami either breaks or tears down every barrier standing in his way. Imayoshi will admit he favors the second option over the first, but both are acceptable in their own way. Aomine will certainly be easier to deal with if Kagami is gone.

39\. Kagami barely even makes Aomine blink as he blows by the redhead and it’s obvious the redhead isn’t anywhere near strong enough to pose a challenge. Kagami revs up to face off against Aomine but it won’t do anything for him now and Imayoshi changes strategies. Maybe forcing them to play nice will provide better results.

40\. The first time Aomine and Kagami are on the court together, playing on the same team, it’s an unmitigated disaster and adding Kuroko only makes it worse. There’s no doubt Aomine could be called a one-man team most of the time, but he takes it to a new level now. The moment Kuroko enters the game, not a single ball so much as touches Kagami’s fingertips as Aomine intercepts passes, swipes balls out of people’s hands, and effectively manipulates the court, and for all that his technique is horrible, it’s also startlingly effective.

41\. …

42\. Momoi sees this strange bond between Tetsu-kun and this Ogiwara Shigehiro and frowns when Dai-chan scowls. He was a decent player at Nationals and he’s friends with Tetsu-kun but she knows he’s given up the game and this is going to cause problems.

43\. …

44\. Imayoshi smiles at his kohai’s antics. This year promises to be quite interesting.

45\. …

46\. Susa Yoshinori pulls Kagami aside before he gets into yet another shouting match with Aomine and drags the redhead to the opposite side of the gym. 

47\. “You’re going to need to know if this if you end up on the same court as Aomine again. He’s all instinct and good enough that he doesn’t have to care what anyone else is doing, but you’re not there yet and you definitely don’t have a Kuroko to call your own, so if we need you both on the court you’re going to have to work around him.”

48\. Kagami frowns but nods in agreement. He may not be Aomine’s equal yet, but he’s going to get there and Kuroko will be there by his side.

49\. Tōō manages to avoid anything but glares between Aomine and Kagami for a miraculous three days as Aomine shadows the pass specialist and Susa works with Kagami as far away from Kuroko as they can get and still be inside the same gym.

50\. …

51\. Tōō might not live to regret recruiting Aomine and finding Kagami, but Kuroko has been a gift without price and Imayoshi will surrender him over his cold, dead body.

52\. The moment Kagami offers to work with Kuroko on passing, Aomine drags the smaller male away to practice shooting, and for all that Kuroko seems to be making an odd sort of improvement and Tōō praises individual skill, he still needs to practice with the rest of the team. Aomine seems to make it his personal mission in life to prevent Kuroko from doing so.

53\. Kuroko knows Momoi will not attend practice today, she is scouting their next opponent, but Aomine is in a particularly foul mood and it is not encouraging. The rain does not help. Well, he just will have to make do.

54\. ...

55\. Kagami offers to walk home with Kuroko after practice because they live in the same direction and Kuroko is about to accept when Aomine claims they’re going to get popsicles. He doesn’t care if it’s raining, hailing, or if a tsunami’s about to hit, Tetsu’s not going anywhere with Kagami. Of course Kagami invites himself along and Daiki will not stand for that. The taller teen lunges at the redhead and Kagami will not avoid a challenge.

56\. Kuroko spends the next fifteen minutes apologizing to his sempai for the ruckus as the two boys duke it out in the rain.

57\. Imayoshi suggests that he break up the fight, considering Momoi is not around to run herd on Aomine like usual, and Kuroko deadpans that that’s the captain’s job, but goes out into the rain anyway. This was not what he planned on doing tonight and he is not pleased.

58\. They end up at Maji Burger afterwards, both Aomine and Kagami with bruises and scrapes, their knuckles scuffed and their clothes torn. The employees shrink back when they enter, this ganguro and gaijin, both so clearly strong and in a bad temper, fresh from a fight.

59\. Daiki absently orders a vanilla milkshake for Tetsu, because fast food places are only surpassed by drivers when it comes to missing Tetsu and it’s clear Tetsu’s not happy with him because of the fight and he doesn’t even want to think of the lecture he knows Satsuki’s going to give him. Besides, Kuroko likes it and it’s a tradition Daiki refuses to break.

60\. Aomine’s sweet tooth seems strange, but the taller male passes the drink off to Kuroko without even looking at it, and blank-faced Kuroko liking sweet things is even stranger, but now it’s his turn to order and the other two basketball players turn to him in shock when he asks for 23 hamburgers. Taiga merely shrugs. It’s what he always orders.

61\. Kagami looks like a chipmunk when he eats, cheeks stuffed full with food, and when Kagami dares to place a burger before Tetsu, Daiki allows it with ill grace. Offering Tetsu tribute is one of the best ways to get back into his good graces and a vanilla milkshake is better than a hamburger any day.

62\. Kagami-kun is both like and unlike Aomine-kun and it makes Tetsuya smile because here is the unbridled joy for the game Aomine-kun has forgotten. He knows Aomine-kun still loves the game, because he would not play if he did not love it, but maybe Kagami-kun can be the challenge Aomine-kun needs.

63\. …

64\. Tetsuya watches Kagami-kun face off against Aomine-kun and sees the potential in the redhead. He’s not there yet, but all he needs is a push and Tetsuya wants to provide it, wants to pair with this boy who hunts down challenges and laughs at his own defeat. Somehow he knows Kagami-kun will never give up until he wins and in that they are well matched.

65\. …

66\. Aomine slips in and out of Kuroko’s shadows in a way Kagami will never learn, balls dropping into his hands as he moves, passes right where they should be for the perfect shot. He doesn’t even have to look for Kuroko, he knows exactly where the other boy is and the moment they step onto that court it unrolls at their feet like a tapestry. There is nothing they cannot do, no one they cannot conquer as they step forward together.

67\. …

68\. The moment they click together, the world falls from beneath their feet and it’s a little like flying and a little like falling and he will never confuse his lights because following Kagami is nothing like following Aomine.

69\. Kuroko extends his fist to Kagami and waits. The redhead deliberately avoids looking at Aomine and taps Kuroko’s fist with his own. He’s seen the two of them preform this ritual countless times and he knows he’s intruding, but this is everything he’s ever wanted and he will not leave his partner waiting.

70\. Aomine is subbed in for Kagami at half-time and he spends the rest of the game proving he’s better than Kagami, stronger, faster, a better match for Kuroko in every way that matters.

71\. By the end of the game Daiki knows down to his bones that he and Kagami might someday be equals, but they are in no way the same and something in him settles. Tetsu is his, but there is nothing that stops him from working with Kagami as well and Daiki finds he can live with that.

72\. Taiga may not like Aomine, but he’ll never regret meeting the shadow that gave him wings.

73\. The first time Aomine pokes fun at Kagami as Kuroko practices his shooting after practice, Kuroko’s shoulders relax because for all that most people wouldn’t consider it pleasant, it is Aomine’s dysfunctional way of makes friends. Aomine allows Kagami to come with them to the convenience store for vanilla popsicles and when Aomine challenges Kagami to a match on the nearby court, Kuroko knows everything will be fine.

74\. When both of them pause before they step on the court and turn towards him, Aomine and Kagami extending opposite fists, Kuroko smiles and extends his own to bump them. They haven’t forgotten him and he knows everything will not just be fine – 

75\. It will be glorious.

76\. If Kuroko is Aomine’s shadow, that extra touch in the darkness cast from Daiki’s brilliance, the touch which no one can see that puts the ball in the perfect place, then he is Kagami’s mirror, amplifying his light until the court is blinding and they fly across it as if they have wings, the ball a mirage in Kuroko’s hands and so solid in Taiga’s palm as he slams it through the hoop.

77\. Satsuki leans back in her chair at home and frowns. Kaga-min is improving too fast, just like the Miracles before they bloomed, and all those face-offs with Dai-chan in the park aren’t helping. She needs to give him a little more structure before he’ll realize his gift, but that’s what managers are for and she knows just how to accomplish it.

78\. The manager approaches the Tōō captain the next day before school with a smile. “Imayoshi-san, don’t you think we should get some experience playing against strong centers? Wakamatsu-san is good, but there’s only so much he can do without some competition.”

79\. The captain merely smiles at her. “Oh, really?”

80\. “After all,” Satsuki ticks them off on her fingers, “two of the Uncrowned Kings are powerful centers, the third’s recruited a genius for his center, and then there’s Muk-kun.”

81\. Imayoshi merely raises an eyebrow and Momoi gleefully explains. “Nebuya’s with Akashi-kun at Rakuzan, Kiyoshi may or may not be playing with Seirin this year after the injury from Hanamiya last year, and Hanamiya’s recruited that genius Seto to enhance Kirisaki Daïchi’s dirty play. Muk-kun’s a one-man defense who’s playing for Yōsen, which means they’ve got some of the tallest players in the league in their Shield of Aegis. The chance we’ll come up against one of them in an important match this year is very high.”

82\. Imayoshi just keeps smiling. “Come now, Momoi-san, I know you have another reason.”

83\. Momoi smiles right back at him. “Kaga-min has very strong legs. I think he should get some practice against someone who isn’t Dai-chan.”

84\. Imayoshi nods. “Then who would you suggest for our next practice game?”

85\. “Shinkyō Academy has recruited a tall center from Senegal for the tournament this year. He’s one of the tallest in the league at 200cm, although Muk-kun takes the prize at 208cm,” Momoi states factually. “The rest of the team isn’t anything to worry about, but they’ll make a good practice match.”

86\. The captain’s smile widens a hair. “Well, why don’t you go arrange a match for us?”

87\. Momoi lowers her eyes demurely and a delicate smile paints her lips. “Of course, captain.”

88\. …

89\. Sakurai drops the ball the first time he sees the foreigner. “Sorry! He’s really very… long.”

90\. Daiki spares the new teen a single look. “That’s nothing compared to Murasakibara. This’ll be easy.”

91\. “And that’s why you’re not playing for the first half,” Momoi says as she takes the ball from Aomine.

92\. Daiki turns to stare at Satsuki, and he must realize she’s telling the truth, because he immediately turns and storms across the court towards their captain. 

93\. Kuroko follows behind him with a tired sigh. Time for damage control.

94\. “I hope we have a good game,” Imayoshi says with a smile as he extends his hand to the Shinkyō captain Tanimura.

95\. “So do I,” Tanimura smiles back. “So do you really have a member of the Generation of Miracles?”

96\. Imayoshi smiles a little wider. “We have two.”

97\. The Shinkyō captain raises an eyebrow. “Really? I was pretty sure all of them were accounted for.”

98\. “Well,” Imayoshi catches Aomine and Kuroko moving from the corner of his eye, “why don’t you meet them for yourself?”

99\. Aomine growls out his demands as soon as he’s in the captain’s hearing range. “What do you mean, I can’t play the first half?”

100\. Imayoshi merely smiles. “We arranged this game for a reason and it wasn’t so you could fool around as you please.”

101\. Daiki completely ignores the captain’s words. “Is Tetsu playing?”

102\. “For the second quarter of both halves, yes,” Imayoshi answers with another smile. “It’s only polite to introduce yourself.”

103\. “Why should I?” Aomine doesn’t even look at the foreign player, just leans to the side and tosses an arm around Kuroko’s shoulders. “It’s not like he’d be a challenge; he’s not even as tall as Murasakibara.”

104\. Tanimura bristles. “We’re not someone you can just dismiss like that!”

105\. “I’m taller than you are,” Papa Mbaye Siki adds from where he looms next to his captain. “And they brought me here to beat you.”

106\. Aomine snorts. “Not going to happen. The only one who can beat me is me.”

107\. The giant from Senegal takes a step forward in reaction and runs into something. He looks down to find a short teal-haired teen in his path and picks the kid up. “Children shouldn’t –”

108\. Aomine plucks Kuroko from Papa’s grasp with a frown before the center can even finish speaking and sets Kuroko on the ground beside him. “Hands off.”

109\. “Well, where’s your second member of the Generation of Miracles?” Tanimura asks Imayoshi derisively. “I don’t happen to see them here.”

110\. “Your center just picked him up,” Imayoshi responds with that ever-present smile and Tanimura spins to face Papa.

111\. “No one that small could ever be a part of the Generation of Miracles,” Papa derides as he looks down at Kuroko. “It’s simply not possible.”

112\. “My name is Kuroko Tetsuya and I’d thank you not to underestimate me or call me a child,” Kuroko responds, more polite than Imayoshi has ever heard him, although Aomine looks almost gleeful and that sets off alarm bells.

113\. “Tetsu’s just as good as any of us,” Daiki defends and smothers his glee before Tetsu can see it. There’s no way Tetsu’s going to try and get him to play nice in this game and that means Daiki can try out a few new tricks on the Shinkyō center in preparation for facing Murasakibara later.

114\. Tanimura smiles at the Tōō team members. “If they’re talented, who cares if they’re foreign?”

115\. Imayoshi just smiles back. “You could have two of them and it wouldn’t matter, but you might have picked someone with a bit more tact.”

116\. “Manners are universal,” Kuroko admonishes before he takes his leave and returns to warming up.

117\. Aomine looks over at Shinkyō with a sneer on his face. “Aomine Daiki. You really shouldn’t have said that.”

118\. The foreign center lifts his chin and confronts the shorter power forward. “Why, you going to make me regret it?”

119\. Daiki snorts because the suggestion’s truly ridiculous. If he’s angry, everyone knows it and he settles things with his fists. Tetsu doesn’t. Tetsu proves his point on the court, digs a hole and tricks them into falling, carves his words deep into their souls. 

120\. “You’re going to lose,” he tells them, because it’s the truth, and what Tetsu wants, his lights will provide. “You made him mad,” he adds, because they should at least know the reason for their failure. They’re going to spend the game gasping for breath as they chase Kuroko’s black magic, Daiki and Kagami blazing past them like comets and leaving dazzling trails of light behind.

121\. The captain sneers at the pronouncement and Satsuki appears at the power forward’s elbow with a polite smile because leaving Dai-chan with Imayoshi to face other teams would be dangerous in the best of circumstances, much less when Tetsu-kun is close to scowling on the sidelines. 

122\. The opposing team stands a little straighter and passes admiring glances over her form. Her beauty is only surpassed by her mind and these are her greatest tools. The captain frowns as he registers her pink hair and steps forward to confront her. “We have new talent this year.”

123\. Satsuki smiles a little wider and says, “So do we,” as she gestures to their team just as Kaga-min springs from the court to drive home a slam dunk. Suddenly Dai-chan is there, snatching the ball as it clears the net and slamming it back through the hoop in one smooth motion. “And we didn’t have to go out of the country to get it.”

124\. “We may have went for foreign,” one of the Shinkyō starters mutters as he watches Kagami and Aomine face off underneath the basket, “but you went for crazy.”

125\. Imayoshi’s smile sharpens and it sends shivers down Shinkyō’s spines. “Talent can make up for a world of flaws, can’t it?”

126\. Tanimura eyes the other captain warily, but refuses to comment. 

127\. Imayoshi’s smile only widens as he offers a shallow bow to his opponent, captain to captain, but not equal to equal. “I’m sure it will be an interesting game.”

128\. This is their beginning.

129\. …

130\. Midorima stares at the Tōō team in stilted shock. Aomine was bad enough, but now there are two ruffians following Kuroko around and shoving at each other. His lucky item is not big enough to handle Kuroko and Aomine at the same time, much less a third monkey.

131\. Takao pokes at Shin-chan for stopping in place before he follows his partner’s horror-stricken gaze over to the short teal-haired kid sandwiched between who he knows is Teiko’s old power forward Aomine Daiki and what looks to be yet another power forward. Yeesh, the kid looks especially short between the two of them. And why was someone like that wearing a jersey anyway?

132\. When Shin-chan appears to randomly decide to approach the kid to congratulate him on choosing an appropriate team, Kazunari follows and slings an arm around the recently-introduced Kuroko Tetsuya. His arm is immediately removed by a large tan hand and something shoves him in Shin-chan’s direction. Of course, the shooters refuses to drop his lucky item in order to help him, so Kazunari has to curve his body to avoid Shin-chan’s left hand and that gets awkward fast.

133\. By the time Takao gets straightened out and turns around, he’s facing almost identical scowls as Aomine Daiki and the other power forward – who Kuroko politely introduces as Kagami Taiga – crowd into Kuroko’s personal space, Aomine’s arm around his shoulders and Kagami’s hand on his head. Kazunari gets the picture and lounges next to Shin-chan as the shooter exchanges pleasantries with the shorter boy while the two power forwards are slowly inching their group in the opposite direction.

134\. …

135\. Takao takes a closer look at the particular group of three as Tōō warms up across the court and he can see the crazy rivalry crackling between the two power forwards, but there’s something strong between Kuroko and each of the boys, something strange and true that sets him on edge. 

136\. Takao may have played the Generation of Miracles, may have made Midorima his goal, but he has never seen Aomine Daiki play when his shadow is on the court. And for all that Takao can spot Kuroko with ease when he’s off the court, when they stand together between those white lines, Kuroko is invisible to even his Hawk Eye.

137\. …

138\. If Aomine is formless and Kagami is powerful, then Kuroko, Kuroko is subtle in way very few people appreciate. Imayoshi could not be more pleased.

139\. …

140\. “I’d like to register a team, if it’s not too late,” Kuroko entreats the administrator as Kagami looms over his shoulder. 

141\. …

142\. Tatsuya smiles at the tall center. “Don’t you want to play, Murasakibara?”

143\. Murasakibara’s eyes skip from Mine-chin to Kuro-chin to Kise-chin to the annoying hyper brunet to Tatsuya’s redhead friend and he shakes his head. “No.”

144\. …

145\. Murasakibara takes one look at Mine-chin standing on Kuro-chin’s left and the redhead hovering in the same position on his right and turns right around to go back through the doors. He can handle Mine-chin most of the time, but he couldn’t stop him nearly as often as Akashi demanded when Mine-chin and Kuro-chin played together and playing against them both will take more effort than he cares to expend. 

146\. Himuro lures the taller player back inside with the promise of an exclusive sweet and refuses to let him leave again, offering carefully-hoarded limited-edition snacks as a bribe in counter-point to the coach’s scolding.

147\. Tatsuya looks up and sees Taiga staring at him from across the court. It is one thing to know Taiga will be his opponent, it is another to see him standing there and know this will be their 99th game and Tatsuya stands with mountains at his back. He smiles and walks over to greet his old friend.

148\. “I don’t see your ring,” Tatsuya tells Taiga as soon as he draws near.

149\. “I have a partner and a rival now,” Taiga announces when they stand face to face and it’s not quite a challenge, but it’s damn close. 

150\. The Yōsen shooting guard just smiles. “Then you have no need for a big brother or a friend. I’d like my ring back.”

151\. Imayoshi picked up the ring after Kagami dropped it weeks ago and it’s been in his bag ever since. Now he slips it to Kuroko and the invisible man appears at his light’s side with all due haste.

152\. Kagami reaches for the chain he used to wear and pauses when he doesn’t find it, pauses just long enough for Kuroko to slip the chain over his thumb so that the ring rests against the pulse of his inner arm.

153\. Taiga looks at Kuroko and finds Aomine standing behind his shadow in silent support, looks down at the ring and then reaches out to drop it into Tatsuya’s palm. “You may not be my big brother, but win or lose you will always be my friend. I don’t need a ring for that.”

154\. …

155\. Kuroko still consider himself a shadow, but anyone on Tōō’s team could tell him he is anything but. He shines like a diamond, sharp and deadly in Aomine’s darkness, blindingly bright in Kagami’s power. He’s strong on his own now, he can drive for the basket and score, he can sink baskets over even Murasakibara’s towering talent, he doesn’t need them, but they are truly magnificent when they stand together, looming over the court like gods.

156\. …

157\. Seijūrō looks down at Tetsuya and finally understands. No action he takes, no defeat he delivers, will be able to change Tetsuya’s resolve for it is not in him to yield. Tetsuya does not know the meaning of surrender and nothing Seijūrō does will ever be able to change that. 

158\. …

159\. They are champions and even mighty Rakuzan cowers at their feet.

160\. …

161\. When Imayoshi leaves the club for the last time, he does so with a smile for he is leaving it in good hands. Kagami will climb over them, Aomine will power through them, and Kuroko will slip by them. They are kings and there could be no greater legacy.


	3. Hunting in the Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If Aomine Daiki still loved the game…
> 
> If Kuroko Tetsuya refused to surrender…
> 
> If Ogiwara Shigehiro stood strong…
> 
> The court deepens between them until they are hunting in the dark and no eye can pierce their bloody night.
> 
> Tōō knows not what they have formed.

1\. Even in their first year, the Generation of Miracles dominates the junior high school basketball circuit. Teikō wins every game they play and takes the championship with little trouble under Nijimura’s guidance, but it is Aomine who blooms first, who comes into his own and finds no challenge on the court.

2\. Daiki tries again and again to find an opponent worth his time in his second year, but they all fall short. He swears that the day his opponents give up before the game even starts, he’ll stop practicing. When there’s no challenge, there’s no point.

3\. Teikō’s reputation precedes them into the tournament preliminaries of their second year by miles. Every single one of their opponents knows fighting the Generation of Miracles is a lost cause and gives up before the game even begins. 

4\. Daiki skips practice the very next day.

5\. Kuroko goes to the roof every day for the next week and fails to persuade Aomine to attend practice. His words can’t reach him and Kuroko can’t physically move the other teen.

6\. Tetsuya’s out of options and that’s not something he can accept.

7\. The next Saturday on the way home from practice Kuroko calls Ogiwara, because, really, he and Aomine are strangely similar, and maybe his oldest friend will have an idea that can help.

8\. Ogiwara picks up after a few rings. “Kuroko, you okay? It’s rare for you to call instead of text.”

9\. Kuroko pauses at a basketball court on the way home to watch a pick-up game. “Are you available to speak right now, Ogiwara-kun?”

10\. “Of course,” Ogiwara smiles into the phone and waves off a few inquisitive teammates. “What’s wrong?”

11\. Ogiwara climbs up the bleachers as Kuroko talks and levers himself up to sit on the large joists of the gym addition. He knows he’s going to need the calm heights give him and he’s right; his frown only gets deeper the longer Kuroko talks. “…So your ace is playing hooky? That’s no good.”

12\. Kuroko offers the air an infinitesimal frown. “What do you think about it?”

13\. Ogiwara scratches his head and pivots to lie down on the wood joist. “I don’t really know… Have you tried bribing him?”

14\. “What would you suggest?” Kuroko knows better than to offer vanilla-anything to Aomine, but meat doesn’t travel well and Murasakibara has proved sugar is not a good idea.

15\. “I mean, you could bribe me with honey lemons at least…” Ogiwara gives a guilty laugh. Kami, it’s been forever since he’s tasted Kuroko’s honey lemons. “Why are you asking me anyway?”

16\. “You’re strangely similar to Aomine-kun,” Kuroko deadpans.

17\. Shige freezes and stares at his phone. “What are you saying!? Don’t compare me to him! I don’t even know him!” 

18\. “I’d never do this to you” goes unvoiced but not unheard and Kuroko lets lose a soft smile into the night.

19\. “At any rate, he’s not like Haizaki,” Ogiwara pauses and can’t help but think it might be better for Kuroko if the power forward was more like the silver-haired bastard. At least then Kuroko wouldn’t feel responsible for his partner. “If Aomine doesn’t hate basketball, it can’t be too bad. You’ve still got some time.”

20\. “He looks bored in games,” Kuroko responds as he watches a dark-haired bishounen score a basket. “And he prefers sleeping on the roof to training.”

21\. “Kuroko – Tsuya,” Ogiwara switches to the nickname he’s called Kuroko for years and proceeds to break it down for his friend as gently as possible. “He loves the game, but he’s not having fun anymore.”

22\. Ogiwara lets that sink in for a few moments before he offers a suggestion. “Maybe you could do something about that?”

23\. Kuroko lets his lips curve in an invisible smile as he stares into the night. “Yes.”

24\. Shige can hear the smile and decides changing the subject is a good idea. Kuroko is his oldest friend and he might have a new friend in Teikō’s ace, but Shige won’t give up his tie with Kuroko in favor of anyone else. “We win the next two games and we’ll see each other again, but that third game… I really have to wonder if winning against Teikō is even possible.”

25\. “Anything is possible, Ogiwara-kun.” Kuroko bites back a second comment. Telling Ogiwara that he hopes Meikō might actually win against Teikō is neither polite nor advisable, even if such an event would be guaranteed to shock Aomine out of his apathy. “Thank you very much for your advice. Best of luck in your next match and may we meet again as soon as possible.”

26\. Aomine plays seriously in the next game, plays full out, but it’s ever so clear to Kuroko that he doesn’t look happy. The teal-haired teen is more than relieved he took Ogiwara’s advice and made honey lemons last night, because that bribe might be the only option he has left to turn Aomine’s attitude around.

27\. At half time, Kuroko approaches Aomine’s corner of the locker room and carefully offers the teen a box of honey lemons. The power forward relaxes, his expression lightening as he smiles down at his shadow. “Thanks Tetsu.”

28\. Kuroko offers his fist and Aomine bumps it before the taller teen begins to eat his treat. When Kise tries to sneak a slice, Aomine puts him in a headlock with one hand and balances the box on top of the blond’s back so he can keep eating. It makes Aomine’s bad mood fully dissipate and he stays relaxed during the second half, makes a small game out of seeing how many times he can out-do Kise and steal his points so that the blond will get in trouble with Akashi and their coach.

29\. Something inside Kuroko relaxes at seeing Aomine turn the basketball match into a game. The honey lemons were a good idea; he’ll have to bring them to every game from now on.

30\. Aomine eyes the basketball they used in the match, but Akashi picks it up before the power forward can make a move and he’s in too good of a mood to challenge his captain right now. He’ll grab the next one.

31\. That night Kuroko picks up some fruit from a grocery store and fills a single-layer bento box with cubes of mangos, Asian pears, jicama, and peaches. Thankfully chopping fruit doesn’t actually involve any cooking. Kuroko knows how much Aomine enjoyed the honey lemons and adds thin slices of lemon to the mix before drizzling a light honey-lemon syrup over the fruit. He garnishes it with delicate curls of lemon on the advice of his traveling mother. She’s not home often, but no one can fault her taste buds.

32\. The next day Kuroko tracks down Aomine on the roof and sets the fruit-filled bento box next to his friend’s lounging form. The tanned teen looks up at the soft click and shifts to his stomach so he can take a peek inside.

33\. Daiki stares down at the colorful mix and quirks his lips in a smile. For all that he’s a definite carnivore, he enjoys fruit more than he probably should and the subtle scent of honey drifting up from the fruit is a pretty big enticement. The honey lemons had been delicious yesterday – realms away from Satsuki’s best efforts – so this treat is bound to taste amazing.

34\. Kuroko settles down beside Aomine and eats his own bento as Aomine devours the fruit with a contented hum. The power forward finishes the treat quickly and sits up to stretch, right before he tips sideways so that his head lands on Kuroko’s shoulder. His shadow makes a much more comfortable pillow than the concrete and this sunny weather is perfect for a nap.

35\. Tetsuya eyes the sleeping teen and tilts his head to the side. It’s not as if his teachers are going to miss him and if it gets Aomine-kun to come to practice, then it’s worth skipping an afternoon of classes.

36\. Kuroko shakes Aomine awake when it’s time for practice and the tanned teen yawns and cracks his back as he follows Kuroko down the stairs and into the gym for practice.

37\. Kuroko repeats the pattern the next day and brings Aomine a mix of cubed pears, apples, apricots, and ume with curls of orange peel and a honey-orange syrup for garnish. This time when Aomine falls asleep after eating, Kuroko shakes him awake at the end of lunch and the tanned teen follows him back to their classroom with a yawn.

38\. Aomine falls asleep on his desk near the window instead of paying attention to the lesson and the teachers ignore him in favor of his basketball skills. It is sadly more common than it should be and Kuroko considers joining Momoi in her worry for Aomine’s future. He’ll never have any problems with athletics, but academics are a completely different matter.

39\. At the end of the day Kuroko offers Aomine another small bento box filled with honey lemons and guides the tanned teen to the gym as he munches on the pre-practice treat.

40\. “The pears yesterday were really good,” Daiki tells Tetsu absently as he picks up a basketball and tosses it to his shadow. “Ready to go?”

41\. Kuroko gives a small, nearly invisible smile and moves towards the basket, tossing the ball in front of him so that it lands in Aomine’s hands as he rises for a layup.

42\. Daiki grins as he comes back down and bumps fists with Tetsu. “Let’s do it again.”

43\. Kuroko moves the ball around, places it at various points around the court, plays around-the-world with Aomine as the shooter, and Aomine laughs out loud when he finally figures it out.

44\. Kuroko brings pear-infused honey lemons to the next game for Aomine and the power forward plays around-the-world over the course of the game, deliberately reenacting his game with Kuroko and shooting only at the next place on their list, passing the ball off if he isn’t in the right place to shoot.

45\. Daiki makes it a point to score the last basket of the game and keeps a hold of the ball throughout the traditional thanks. Once all the niceties have been taken care of, he presents the ball to Kuroko and near-invisible teen accepts it with all due propriety.

46\. Aomine finds he likes the feeling of playing a game within a game and spends the next game only shooting with his off hand, spends the one after that bouncing every single shot off the backboard, and spends the last game of the week annoying Midorima by refusing to shoot anything that isn’t a three pointer. 

47\. And after every match, Daiki presents Tetsu with the game ball like it’s some type of prize and the teal-haired teen accepts it with a blank look and a courteous bow.

48\. Satsuki relaxes a little when Dai-chan looks like he’s enjoying the game again, even if he reminds her of a cat more than ever given the way he keeps presenting basketballs to Kuroko and playing with his opponents on the court. It’s different from Akashi’s games, springing from boredom rather than malice, but it devastates their opponents anyway.

49\. The next day at school Kuroko brings Aomine a mix of sweet cubed melons: sugar melon, muskmelon, sprite melon, winter melon, and honeydew, all chopped into neat pieces and garnished with curls of lime and lightly-sweetened lime juice.

50\. Eventually Daiki runs out of games he can play on the court and gets bored again, a boredom that disappears the moment Tetsu steps across those white lines. With his shadow on the court it becomes a whole different ball game and that’s when Daiki truly enjoys himself. It’s something different to play together and it’s more amazing than any of the random games he’s played during the tournament matches this year.

51\. Satsuki arranges for the team to have a plentiful bento lunch and a few snacks between games, but Kuroko still offers Aomine a bento filled with a mix of cubed watermelon, Asian pears, Shinshu apples, strawberries, and blueberries garnished with crushed mint and simple syrup. Best to keep the power forward in a good mood considering Aomine’s recent trend of playing with his opponents. After all, a satisfied cat is much less inclined to cause damage and the opposing teams can use all the help they can get.

52\. Daiki munches his way through the treat before shifting to lie down on the bench, resting his head on Tetsu’s leg as he sets the bento down on the floor with one long arm. Daiki settles down to nap without a care in the world and Kuroko sits there staring at his light. Aomine-kun has been very persistent in sleeping on him lately and he knows this is not normal.

53\. Kuroko looks back at the duffle bags behind him that are stuffed with game balls. It’s not like that’s normal either. He’s starting to get a collection and he’s not sure how to explain it when his parents finally come home.

54\. “I like that thing that tingles on my tongue,” Daiki absently tells Tetsu as he spins a ball on his finger minutes before the next match starts.

55\. Aomine stalks onto the court like a large cat five minutes into the game and his feral smile when Kuroko trails behind him makes their opponents flinch. Kuroko is pulled out of the game a few minutes later and Aomine’s game immediately gets rougher. He pushes past his opponents with a minimum of care, somehow managing to avoid drawing fouls, and the ball barely leaves his hands for the rest of the game. Kise literally has to steal the basketball from Aomine’s hands to reach his point quota and Midorima only avoids trouble because the first few baskets of the game had been his and he only ever shoots three-pointers.

56\. The next day Kuroko brings mint-infused honey lemons to the championship game with Kamata West Junior High and that might be the only thing that stops Aomine from planting his fist in one of the twin’s face after the two brats spend half the game drawing fouls from Kise and Aomine with every other move. When they aren’t causing fouls, they’re performing them beneath the referee’s notice and that annoys the entire team.

57\. Tetsu-kun doesn’t play in that game and that’s probably for the best considering how savage the game gets, because seeing him safe on the sidelines gets Dai-chan to calm down a hair and the power forward starts treating the championship match with casual disregard. It reminds Satsuki of a lazy cat playing with prey and she’s so grateful that Tetsu-kun’s found a way to distract him.

58\. After his halftime treat, Daiki refuses to let the twins from Kamata West Junior High even touch him, and the brats switch their attention to Kise and Murasakibara. Kise whines for the rest of the game and Murasakibara actually gets annoyed enough to go on the offense.

59\. Teikō wins by a landslide (as if there was ever any doubt).

60\. The day after the championship Kuroko leaves Aomine’s bento box at home by accident, but Daiki just yawns and follows Tetsu to a street court after school. Satsuki refuses to let them leave without her and clings to Kuroko’s arm the whole way there.

61\. When they arrive at the basketball court, the eyes of every male on the court bounce between the pink-haired girl with the hour-glass figure that’s oddly perched on the bleachers and the tanned teen on the court who’s thrashing his opponents in three-on-one matches. The two of them came in together and the guy keeps taking trophies from each of the matches and piling them up few feet to the left of the girl. So far he’s only taking basketballs, but the girl’s barely paying attention.

62\. People waiting to play a game lean against the fence encircling the court and Meijō Academy’s Yuuta sweeps a glance over the girl’s form, eyes lingering on her plentiful bust. He nudges Kenta and Hibiki and the three of them share a conniving grin. She’s sure to have some pretty friends and humiliated boyfriends are never any fun for girls like that. They’ll be much better company.

63\. The tallest of the three would-be challengers struts over to the tanned teen as Aomine deposits yet another basketball in his ever-growing pyramid. He leans over Aomine to deliver his challenge, but jerks back when the power forward straightens to his full height.

64\. Daiki ignores the newest idiot and flicks a glance at Tetsu. His partner’s starting to look bored and he doesn’t want that. Time to go.

65\. Yuuta hefts the ball in one hand and swings it in front of Aomine’s face. “I’ll play you for this. Winner gets the ball.”

66\. Daiki’s eyes skip over the challenger completely to focus on the basketball in his hand, the last free basketball on the court, the one he needs to complete the pyramid for Tetsu.

67\. Daiki smirks and swipes the ball out of the challenger’s hand with ease. One more game wouldn’t hurt.

68\. Naoki eyes the interaction between Aomine and the challenger warily. He can’t help but lean over and talk to the rest of the guy’s team. “You do know who that is, right?”

69\. “Some ganguro idiot with a hot girlfriend,” Hibiki dismisses airily.

70\. Naoki and his friend share a glance. If he was humiliating his opponents just to show off to his girl, well, they’d be pissed to, but sadly enough this is normal behavior for Teikō’s Aomine Daiki. Even in official games he takes on more than one opponent, but here on the street courts he’s taking on opponents three at a time and still managing to win. And he’s not skating by with those wins, he’s thrashing his opponents backwards, forwards, and sideways in every game.

71\. Before he has a chance to offer a warning, all three challengers are on the court and Naoki winces. This is going to be bad. Those three aren’t even any good at basketball despite being senior high school students and Aomine’s more than famous in the junior high school circuit. Whole teams have trouble standing against him when he’s constrained by the rules; take that away and set him free on a streetball court and a slaughter is the only possible result.

72\. Dai-chan offers to let them have the ball first, but like idiots, they refuse their best – and probably only – chance to get a point in the game. A vicious smiles slashes across his face and Satsuki winces. Yuuta Jirou, Meijō’s point guard, isn’t all that good and neither is the rest of his team. This is going to get real ugly, real fast.

73\. Aomine drives for the basket, doesn’t even bother to try and dodge, just powers over and through the blocks and knocks his opponents on their asses. They stare up at the basket as Aomine slams it through the hoop to score the first point.

74\. Yuuta gets the ball, but he only has possession of it for a few seconds before Aomine takes it back and hammers his way through their meager defenses to score again. And again, and again, as many times as he pleases. And every time the three of them end up sprawled on the pavement, watching Aomine sink basket after basket above their prone bodies.

75\. Daiki beats his last three challengers with ridiculous ease, doesn’t even really pay attention for over half the game, but when the first challenger refuses to release the ball at the end of match, Daiki does more than just scowl, he grabs the back of challenger’s shirt in one hand and drags him across the court.

76\. Dai-chan dumps the challenger – who’s clutching the basketball like a lifeline – right in front of Tetsu-kun and stands there looking more than satisfied. If it was anyone else, Satsuki would call it preening, and that’s when it hits her: Dai-chan’s depositing his prize at Tetsu-kun’s feet just like a cat leaving kills for his master, except kitty-Dai-chan doesn’t bring back mice as proof of his prowess, he brings back basketballs. 

77\. Satsuki eyes the pyramid just to the right of Tetsu-kun and winces. Yeah, Dai-chan brings back lots and lots of basketballs. Ignoring the actual physics of how Dai-chan got them to stay in place, there’s at least nine basketballs in the three-level pyramid, ten if you include the one in Yuuta’s hands, and she has no idea what Tetsu-kun does with all of them, although now the carefully folded bag next to her crush makes so much more sense. As does the sudden increase in costs for the club’s ball-replacement program. She’ll have to add a subsection just for the basketballs Dai-chan gives his shadow to take home, but that won’t be hard.

78\. Kuroko thanks Aomine ever-so-politely for his gift and the power forward gleefully yanks the ball out of the hands of his shocked challenger. People always react like that the first time they see Tetsu and it’s just the opening Daiki was counting on.

79\. Daiki carefully sets the last basketball on top of his pyramid with a pleased grin. There, all done. Time to go.

80\. Everyone at the streetball court watches the entire fiasco in stunned disbelief, but when it’s clear that Aomine’s going to take every last basketball on the court with him when he leaves, there’s quite a commotion. No one’s quite willing to step up and challenge Aomine after what just happened, but neither are they willing to stop playing basketball until they can afford another ball.

81\. A single ball rolls to a gentle stop at the top of the key and everyone follows the basketball’s path back to the court’s entrance.

82\. This time when Momoi and Aomine walk through the gate, everyone can see the slight teal-haired male between them, the pink-haired girl firmly attached to his right arm as Aomine slings an arm over his shoulders from the left.

83\. Satsuki chatters away to Tetsu-kun as they walk in order to hide her frown. Dai-chan’s getting rougher and rougher, more and more disinterested in anyone who isn’t Tetsu-kun and anything that isn’t basketball – but only when Tetsu-kun’s playing, or at least watching, because if it isn’t a challenge then he’s a bored predator playing with stupid prey and that’s more than dangerous for everyone involved, it’s verging on suicidal, and Satsuki refuses to let Dai-chan go to jail for murder.

84\. Somehow Daiki ends up in the same class as Tetsu for the second year in a row and his shadow dismisses it as luck, but when Daiki takes the time to think about it, he detects Satsuki’s careful hand in their class placement. Satsuki’s with Kise in the next classroom over and Akashi is as far away from Tetu’s classroom as possible given their year group, but he has Midorima and Murasakibara for company, so he’s not likely to mind.

85\. Their last year is simultaneously better and worse than everything that came before. Teikō powers through their opponents like they don’t even exist, each starter becoming stronger than anyone or anything else on the junior high school circuit. The Uncrowned Kings are gone now and the only challenge left to the Generation of Miracles lies amongst themselves. Their strength makes them callous and cold, arrogant in their power in a way that makes Kuroko frown.

86\. Ogiwara is busy practicing with his own team and the only bright spot in Kuroko’s world, in Teikō’s entire starting line, is Aomine, who has yet to miss another practice – although it’s a toss-up to whether or not he’ll actually pick up a basketball in any given practice. The power forward is always willing to practice with Kuroko, but when his partner is busy elsewhere, Aomine naps the day away.

87\. Teikō faces off against Kamata West for the second year in a row, but this time it’s not for the national title, it’s for the semi-finals, and while Akashi does not make mistakes, no one can say he does not learn from them. Aomine and Murasakibara will not be playing in this game.

88\. Ogiwara goes to watch Teikō’s semi-final game with Kamata West Junior High and while he’s amazed at how Kuroko plays, there’s a disconnect between Kuroko and everyone on his team who isn’t Aomine Daiki and it’s obvious Kuroko isn’t happy with the situation.

89\. Unable to use their usual tactics and more than frustrated with the way the game is playing out, one of the twins slams his elbow into Kuroko’s temple and the teal-haired teen collapses unconscious to the floor.

90\. Daiki goes crazy when Tetsu gets injured, drops deep into the Zone despite the fact he’s sitting on the bench, and the rest of Teikō’s team moves to the opposite side of their munching center for fear of the power forward’s volatile temper.

91\. Akashi puts Aomine into the game because that’s the safest option and the power forward sends the score through the stratosphere, barely acknowledging the rest of Teikō as he humiliates the twins time after time after time on the court, until the entire team from Kamata West Junior High collapses to the floor and Aomine stands tall above their broken forms.

92\. And when the game ends, when it’s all over, Aomine doesn’t drop out of the Zone like usual, just picks up the ball and storms off the court to find Kuroko.

93\. Daiki invades the medical office without a care and sets the ball next to Tetsu’s unconscious body. Mission complete.

94\. The power forward cracks his back and unfurls his shoulders, dropping out of the Zone with a sigh. Tetsu’s going to frown, visibly frown, when his shadow finds out he skipped the after-game niceties, but the twins started it and that’s all the motivation he needs.

95\. The teen brushes a careful finger across the bandages around his partner’s head and the nurse shakily offers an opinion from her position pressed against the wall. “He should be fine tomorrow, Rokugou-no-Teikō-san.”

96\. Aomine nods and turns to leave. If he misses the championship game, Tetsu’s going to be more than pissed at him, especially when his shadow went out of his way to make him promise to play full force. And he would, at least until they gave up, because listless opponents were boring and he didn’t want another lecture from Tetsu on playing nice.

97\. Shige moves to the other side of the hallway when he spots Teikō’s ace stalking away from the medical office. After the match he just saw, he’s got absolutely zero interest in challenging the other teen. Tsuya getting hurt clearly flipped his psycho switch and he’s heard enough stories about Aomine Daiki to know he’s hard enough to handle on a good day, much less a day like today.

98\. The tanned teen doesn’t even look up as Shige slips by him, but the small forward waits until Aomine has turned the corner before he sneaks into the medical office. Shige ignores the nurse hyperventilating in the corner and makes a beeline for his best friend’s bed. Aomine’s got a temper, but he’s pretty sure the power forward wouldn’t harm a lady without reason, and given her hysterics, the nurse couldn’t hurt a fly without crying.

99\. The ball sitting by Tsuya’s arm has to be the one from the game Teikō just played and Shige shifts it to the other side of the bed before pressing the back of two fingers to Kuroko’s forehead. His best friend’s got this odd habit of getting a fever whenever he gets injured, and the worse the injury, the worse the fever. Thankfully he’s not very warm, so Shige can rule out a concussion or brain damage. He’s probably just enacting his second post-injury ritual: sleeping like the dead. He’ll be lucky to wake up before the Teikō vs. Meikō match is over.

100\. Shige wafts cool air over Tsuya’s face for a few minutes with his fan before he pauses and eyes it carefully. He’s always used fans like these, ever since they were little, and he can think of no clearer way to get his message across.

101\. Akashi narrows his eyes at the back of Meikō’s Ogiwara Shigehiro as the chestnut-haired teen whistles and walks down the hallway in the opposite direction. The medical office is the only thing of interest in this area and, while neither Meikō – nor their small forward – is known for such actions, Tetsuya is already injured. It would not take much to make it worse.

102\. Momoi steps forward to call out to Meikō’s #7, but Akashi stops her in her tracks with an outstretched arm. “Losers are not worth the breath used to speak their name. Check on Tetsuya.”

103\. Satsuki frowns, but concedes the point to her captain and enters the medical office to check on Tetsu-kun. It was a pretty vicious blow and the twins have been forbidden from playing in the third-place match as a result, but it’s – Why is the game ball on Tetsu-kun’s bed?

104\. Satsuki tips her head to the side and eyes the ball curiously as Akashi-kun zeroes in on the traditional uchiha next to Kuroko’s left shoulder.

105\. Akashi lifts the fan from the bed and turns it over his hands once before passing it off to their manager. “Satsuki, dispose of that.”

106\. Satsuki tucks the fan into her bag and can’t help the shiver that runs down her spine – usually reserved for Dai-chan’s most ridiculous ideas, the one’s she can’t even find words for – when Akashi explains his plan to the rest of the team. This will not end well. 

107\. Shige knows something’s wrong less than a minute into the game. Teikō’s #6, Aomine Daiki, has trounced every member of Meikō, but loses interest the moment they stop challenging him. It’s like he knows he’s stronger than they are, and that might be true, but there’s something decidedly off with the rest of Teikō’s game and it makes Shige nervous.

108\. The Generation of Miracles looks down on Meikō and their captain and it shouldn’t be possible, but somehow Shige blocks Kise Ryōta for just long enough that his captain can slip by and get off a crazy shot, one that glances off the edge of Murasakibara’s palm and goes straight into the basket.

109\. That’s how Meikō scores their first two points and Shige is suspicious because he’s seen Teikō’s center block shots like that in preliminary matches when he looks half-asleep, much less in a championship game. Meikō’s next two baskets before half-time make it clear that Teikō is playing some kind of horrible game, that Meikō has been given their points and Shige can’t help but think that Kuroko is playing with monsters.

110\. There’s only two things he’s sure of now: Aomine is stronger than anyone else he’s ever seen and, for some reason, he’s not playing the same game as the rest of Generation of Miracles, because while the rest of them may be heartless monsters, Teikō’s #6 faces him head-on with close to all of his power and Shige can respect that.

111\. So when Shige’s team gives up, he can acknowledge the truth: Teikō is stronger, faster, better, than Meikō, but that just means he needs to dig deeper and play harder because he will score a point under his own power before the game ends.

112\. Shige immerses himself in the flow of the game and every time he faces Aomine on the court, the spark in his eyes gets just a little brighter, a little stronger, and Aomine begins to smile. Here might be a challenge at last, or at least the start of one, and he cannot wait to face whatever Meikō’s #7 will grow into.

113\. Seconds before the game ends, Shige gets by Aomine for a single moment. Kise Ryōta is just inches out of position, Midorima Shintaro is following another member of Meikō as part of Akashi’s plan, and Murasakibara Atsushi has already dismissed the game and is moving in the wrong direction, but it is Shige who takes advantage of their pride and uses his skill to maneuver the shooting guard and the small forward into position to block Aomine for those few precious, critical seconds.

114\. Shige gets off a fade-away shot at just the right angle to score and sinks the shot moments before the final buzzer goes off.

115\. The final score is 111 to 13. It is Teikō’s win, but two of those precious points are his – the only two points Teikō didn’t hand out like party favors – and that is something to be proud of.

116\. Shige collapses on the court and leans back on his hands as he watches Aomine snatch the basketball out of the air and zero in on Kuroko. There’s no doubt that Kuroko plays with monsters, but at least there’s one member of the team that hasn’t been completely warped by their talent. Although his habit of giving Kuroko game balls, even when the pale teen hasn’t played in the game, is more than a little strange. 

117\. Daiki spots Tetsu on the sidelines, leaning against the bleachers with his bandaged head facing the ground. He looks oddly devastated for Teikō’s third consecutive national title and when he looks up, his eyes focus on something over Daiki’s shoulders.

118\. Shige flashes Tsuya a tired smile and watches as his friend’s shoulders relax. This won’t break them. He won’t let it.

119\. The power forward doesn’t have to look over his shoulder to know Meikō’s #7 is on the floor behind him, but he does anyway and scowls.

120\. Daiki purposely blocks their line of sight as he presents the game ball to Tetsu. He should be the only one to put that look on his partner’s face, the only one able to make Tetsu smile like that, and he will do his level best to erase this stranger from his partner’s mind. He is the only light Tetsu will ever need.

121\. Shige sits down after the game and thinks about it, considers just how horrible the game really was and the monstrous way Teikō played, a way specifically designed by their devious captain to break the opposing team’s spirit. Most of his team has resigned from the club and sworn off the game, unable to even look at a basketball, and his team captain has transferred schools. That leaves a mark on Shige. He can’t live through something like that and not be changed, not become a little harder, a little sharper around the edges. He doesn’t smile, his exuberance is toned down, and he craves Kuroko’s unyielding passion for the game like it’s the very air he breathes.

122\. When Kuroko comes to visit Ogiwara at Meikō and apologize for the behavior of his team, Ogiwara assures him that it’s not his fault, that for all that he’s spent three years playing with monsters, the light in his eyes hasn’t yet died and it’s clear he’s managed to rekindle some kind of glow in Aomine’s eyes, even if it seems skewed towards the savage side of the spectrum.

123\. Kuroko nods. “I took your advice a few years ago and bribed him.”

124\. “You actually took that seriously?” Shige looks at Kuroko incredulously and then shakes his head. “Of course you did. Well, I’m glad it seemed to work.”

125\. Ogiwara picks up a ball and spins it on his index finger before he tosses it to Kuroko. “Play a game with me, Tsuya.”

126\. Kuroko nods again and they play together like they always have and Ogiwara finally smiles for the first time since the game at Nationals. Tsuya is the perfect cure for the poison in his veins, that cloying doubt caused by a match with the Generation of Miracles, and Shige knows that he can’t quit basketball like the rest of the team, that to stop playing basketball would tear out his heart.

127\. After the game Ogiwara smiles and gives Kuroko one of his wrist bands. “A reminder of our promise. If we can’t play against each other with our teams, then maybe we can play together.”

128\. Kuroko clenches the wrist band tightly and nods. “One day.”

129\. “With or without our teams, against each other or side-by-side, I promise we’ll play together again,” Ogiwara continues and makes his promise into a solemn vow.

130\. Kuroko calls Ogiwara after school every other day, texts when he can’t call, and the two of them grow close again even as Aomine refuses to let Kuroko out of his sight at school and, oddly enough, has taken to using Kuroko as a permanent pillow for his ever more frequent naps.

131\. Things start to change when Kuroko cancels his after-school chats with Ogiwara for two weeks straight in an attempt to get Aomine ready for the Tōō entrance exam. The first week is for prepping with Momoi and the second is for beating information into Aomine’s basketball-oriented brain. They’re not too hopeful, but Tōō has almost been rabid in recruiting the power forward. He doesn’t even have to get an amazing score on the exam, he just has to pass and they’re going to ensure he does.

132\. Kuroko manages to get a text off to Ogiwara before the first study session with Aomine begins and then ignores his phone for the week because Aomine tries to avoid studying with all his being and it takes everything Momoi and Kuroko have to corral him into place long enough for him to learn. It doesn't help he spends most of the school day napping on the roof.

133\. “Ogiwara-kun, I’m afraid I won’t be able to talk much for the next week because I’ll be preparing for Tōō’s entrance exam. I trust Meikō’s entrance exam went well.” Of course Kuroko forgets to tell Ogiwara that it’s all for Aomine and Kuroko himself has no intention of taking Tōō’s exam.

134\. Shige takes a single look at the message and goes to talk to his parents. He’s older now and there is no reason he can’t do as he pleases when it comes to school. When he learns the truth about that fateful text message three months later, he honestly can't say whether it would have made a difference or not.

135\. Kuroko begs off an early morning meeting with Ogiwara the day of Tōō’s entrance exam because he has to take Aomine to Tōō and make sure the power forward actually takes the exam. The taller male started to ignore Momoi right after Nationals and it was getting to the dangerous point that Aomine only paid attention to Kuroko.

136\. Kuroko ends up taking the exam for Tōō, mainly because he’s already there and Momoi filled out the paperwork for him months ago. It doesn’t hurt that Tōō really is an option for him, especially when he thinks of Aomine set loose on this new school with only Momoi’s steadily decreasing influence to block his temper. It’s not a pretty picture.

137\. Soon enough everyone has graduated junior high and moved on to their new schools, settling into new places and getting used to new things.

138\. Akashi takes control of Rakuzan with ease, claiming his rightful place as captain despite the presence of three Uncrowned Kings, and proceeds to reorganize practice and change conditioning routines, striking fear into the hearts of his team with cold eyes and sharp red scissors.

139\. Murasakibara searches out every single snack shop around Yōsen the very first day he moves to the area and munches his way through their first practice. 

140\. When a short first year attempts to take one of his sweets, his eyes go hard and he picks the teen up by one shoulder and tosses the idiot away from his horde. Murasakibara broods over his sweets like a dragon for the rest of practice and eyes the team warily the next day when he sets his bag on the bleachers.

141\. The coach isn’t quite sure what to do with him after that, their manager is honestly afraid of him, and the entire team gives him a wide berth.

142\. Himuro rolls his eyes after the third day of practice in which Murasakibara does less than nothing and digs a bag of sweets out of his school satchel. The dark-haired bishounen walks towards his teammate, the bag of hard caramels dangling casually from one hand and attracting Murasakibara’s attention.

143\. Tatsuya extends the sweets towards the tall center, but Murasakibara eyes the bag and then carefully considers his own horde before removing a similar sized bag and holding it in one large hand.

144\. Atsushi plucks the bag from Himuro with one hand and sets his offering on the bishounen’s head with a nod. Fair trade.

145\. Himuro tips his head forward and the bag slips off his hair into his hands. He offers the bag of sweets back to Murasakibara and the giant narrows his eyes as he accepts it back.

146\. Atsushi promptly hands him another bag of sweets, but when he gets it back again, the tall center pauses. Ah, maybe he’s like Kuro-chin?

147\. Murasakibara opens the bag Himuro originally gave him and takes a single sweet out. He offers it to Himuro and the teen accepts it with a smile.

148\. Tatsuya’s pulled down to sit by Murasakibara once he’s unwrapped the sweet and popped it in his mouth and ends up staying there for the entire practice. 

149\. Without Himuro’s input, the team and Murasakibara somehow come to an unspoken agreement that the bishounen is responsible for making sure Murasakibara attends practice and the teen always has enough snacks on hand. It’s an odd relationship by all accounts.

150\. Midorima attends practice every day at Shūtoku, commandeers an entire hoop and the surrounding area to practice three-pointers in the middle of practice, basically pisses off the entire team, and somehow still manages to get three selfish wishes per day. They may not like him, but they know they need him. 

151\. Takao’s seniors unanimously nominate the sharp-eyed teen to put up with Midorima’s idiosyncrasies when it turns out Takao is the only one not glaring at Midorima like he wants to bludgeon the green-haired teen with his oh-so-precious lucky item.

152\. Oh he’s glaring at Midorima, there’s no doubt about that, but Takao’s the only one not envisioning the point guard’s bloody demise by baseball bat. There’s some kind of history there, at least on the point guard’s side, because Midorima doesn’t even seem to acknowledge that Takao exists until the sharp-eyed teen decides to call him “Shin-chan.”

153\. Takao nods to himself. “Shin-chan” is appropriate payback for towing Midorima around in a rickshaw – it’s good cardio training at least – and there’s no doubt that following Midorima around is entertaining on several levels. And one day he’ll be good enough that the shooting guard has no choice but to acknowledge him.

154\. Kise skips the first day of practice at Kaijō due to his obligations as a model, skips the second for no reason at all, and gets dragged to the third day of practice by Kaijō’s captain Kasamatsu. Kise’s female fans follow and camp out in the gym to watch the blond practice. Really, it could be worse, but they can’t stop cheering at every little thing Kise does and that’s more than annoying, especially when the blond plays it up at every opportunity.

155\. Kasamatsu quickly puts a stop to that behavior – kohai should not flaunt themselves in such a manner, even if they are professional models – even though it means that every girl at school has moved him to the top of their hate list for abusing their precious Kise-kun. He barely even notices.

156\. Aomine prowls around the locker rooms and the basketball courts at Tōō like a panther with its hackles up, upset and annoyed in this strange new territory. There are habitual motions aborted before they even start, as if something is missing from his personal territory and it pisses him off.

157\. Imayoshi watches Aomine fall asleep on the stage instead of practicing for the fourth day in a row and lets his smile fall flat. This was not what he envisioned when he recruited the Ace of the Generation of Miracles for Tōō. Even Momoi can’t get him to participate and that’s going to be a problem down the road.

158\. When Imayoshi informs Momoi of the issue, she just shrugs and says he’ll practice later, that Dai-chan’s just in a bad mood because Testu-kun’s missing, too busy with moving and transfer papers and new admissions to come to practice, but, really, they should just leave Dai-chan alone for now.

159\. Wakamatsu tries to drag Aomine off to practice anyway and the blue-haired teen buries his knee in the blond’s stomach with what Sakurai would swear is a growl. The tall blond hits his knees, landing at just the right height for Aomine to rest his sneaker on one shoulder and force the center on his back. 

160\. Aomine’s sneaker leaves a dirty track across Wakamatsu’s shirt as the power forward drags his foot to rest on the blond’s throat. Aomine peers down at Wakamatsu, absently putting more pressure on the center’s throat even as Wakamatsu tries to remove his foot with both hands.

161\. Imayoshi smiles and launches a basketball at Aomine’s head. The power forward isn’t allowed to break his pawns and as captain he cannot allow such actions to go unpunished.

162\. The tanned teen doesn’t even need to look up in order to catch the ball, just flicks his hand as the basketball comes in and it stabilizes in a tight spin on his index finger as cold blue eyes pin Imayoshi in place.

163\. Daiki keeps his eyes on the captain and his foot on Wakamatsu’s throat as he flips the ball over his shoulder in a high arc. He doesn’t need to see the basket to know where it is, to know the shot’ll be pure net, but he waits to move until he hears that telltale swish.

164\. The ball barely clears the net and the power forward is already weaving between the few players still left on the court. Aomine scoops up the ball up the ball before it can hit the floor a second time and slams it back through the hoop with enough power to loosen the hoop and break the wooden backboard in half.

165\. Daiki catches the ball with his left hand before it hits the floor, barely sparing a second glance for the hoop hanging from his right hand, considering it just long enough to set his foot on the broken backboard and give the hoop one good yank, easily separating it from the backboard before he casually kicks the wood away.

166\. The broken board spins across the floor to land at Imayoshi’s feet as Daiki tucks the ball under his left arm – proof for Tetsu that he’s been practicing, no matter what Satsuki says – and stalks across the gym.

167\. The power forward drops the hoop in front of Wakamatsu’s face and sneers down at the other player before he saunters back to the stage. Aomine gets comfortable in the thin slice of sunlight coming through the windows, wraps one arm around his prize, and then promptly falls back asleep, as if what he just did was as common as breathing.

168\. Sakurai picks up the hoop before anyone else and looks at it for a moment before passing it to an interested Imayoshi with a flinch. “S-sorry!”

169\. “Why is he even in the gym if he’s not going to practice?” Wakamatsu coughs out as he rubs his throat and keeps a wary eye on Aomine’s sleeping form.

170\. “Dai-chan does prefer sleeping in sunshine and open air,” Momoi agrees pleasantly as she offers him an ice pack, “but this is the first place Tetsu-kun’s going to come, so he’s making do.”

171\. Tōō’s basketball teams looks askance at their manager and then pivots as one to look at their sleeping ace with incredulous eyes.

172\. “He’s much better when Testu-kun’s around,” Momoi assures them, but Tōō can’t quite believe that one person could make that much of a difference.

173\. Aomine ends up taking the basketball home because no-one’s stupid enough to challenge the power forward after what he did to Wakamatsu.

174\. The next day Imayoshi is talking to Momoi when he catches what might be a teal-haired shadow slipping into the gym from the corner of his eye. He turns his head to see if it’s a mirage and somehow Momoi has virtually transported across to the gym to the stranger’s side. Her squeal of excitement wakes Aomine and must serve as the oddest homing beacon in the world, because the ace doesn’t even look around, just gets up with half-closed eyes and moves towards their manager.

175\. Daiki yawns as he homes in on the pair. He can always trust Satsuki to make a fuss over Tetsu, no question about it. Daiki absently throws an arm over Tetsu’s shoulder and leans on the smaller boy. Tetsu’s entrance interrupted his nap, but he hasn’t seen his shadow all week and he escaped Satsuki long enough to catch a nap on the roof during lunch. It’ll have to do.

176\. Momoi ushers the teal-haired boy over to the Tōō team for introductions and Aomine prowls over on the other boy’s right, an arm over Kuroko’s shoulder as he slowly transitions into full consciousness.

177\. “How do you do, my name is Kuroko Tetsuya. Please give me your guidance.” Kuroko bows politely and the moment he’s standing straight again, Aomine replaces his arm and uses it to turn the other boy towards a basket as he steals a ball from Sakurai with his free hand, blocking the rest of the team from being introduced before they can even begin to speak.

178\. Imayoshi watches Aomine hand the ball to Kuroko and begin to stretch as he bodily herds the smaller boy away from the rest of the team, a scolding “Aomine-kun…” trailing in the air behind them, and the captain knows it will be an interesting year.

179\. Kuroko looks back at the team for a single moment before he joins Aomine in his stretches and Aomine seems to settle down with Kuroko at his side, voluntarily participating in basketball practice at Tōō for the first time, even if the only person he interacts with is Kuroko.

180\. The teal-haired teen is small and thin and short and completely unsuitable for basketball by all conventional standards, but when Kuroko bounces the ball twice and settles into position at the half-court, Aomine moves to the three-point line and watches his shadow with attentive eyes.

181\. The entirety of Tōō stares as Aomine begins to move and the ball leaves Kuroko’s hands. They would swear that the chance this stranger would be able to guess Aomine’s path is so close to zero as to be impossible, but the ball lands neatly in the power forward’s hands the second before he launches into the air and the transition from pass to windmill dunk is so smooth that it appears as if Aomine had the ball from the very beginning.

182\. Aomine tosses the ball back to Kuroko and they do it again and again and again in different places, with different patterns, with Kuroko moving and Aomine still, and always, always, always, the ball lands in Aomine’s hands at just the right time, in just the right place. Aomine rises for a jump and the ball is in the perfect position for an alley-oop; Aomine turns and the ball falls into his hands for a formless shot; Aomine zig-zags across the court and the ball bounces in and out of his hands as if he’s playing with an invisible shadow, always just where he needs it, just when he wants it.

183\. Kuroko offers his fist to Aomine and both players smile as the power forward taps it with his own. Kuroko’s smile is small and content, invisible to all but his partner, but Aomine’s is oddly free and open, full of savage joy in the game and pure pride in his partner’s skill as he swings an arm over Kuroko’s shoulders once again.

184\. Tōō watches in shock. This Aomine is so different that they can’t quite believe it’s the same person, but Momoi just shrugs and tells them, “I told you, Dai-chan just needs Tetsu-kun to settle down.”

185\. And as long as Kuroko attends practice, Aomine appears to play at his side. The power forward is startling prompt and at least semi-pleasant, but it quickly becomes apparent that the attitude only applies to Kuroko. His interaction with the rest of the team is still rather lacking.

186\. The first time Imayoshi approaches his newest team member, Aomine all but growls and physically blocks his path. Kuroko digs an elbow into Aomine’s side and the power forward relaxes enough to throw an arm over his partner’s shoulder, but his eyes are hard.

187\. Throughout his introduction, Imayoshi can feel Aomine glaring at him. The teen becomes noticeably bored the longer the conversation drags on, but his eyes never leave the captain’s form. It’s a palatable threat that Imayoshi ignores with a bland smile.

188\. Daiki stiffens when Wakamatsu hollers a challenge across the court, but Tetsu hands him a ball and that’s all the permission Daiki needs. Tetsu can handle Imayoshi just fine and the loud center clearly needs another lesson.

189\. Aomine takes on Wakamatsu with a savage grin, presses through his block with ease and knocks the center on his ass. The next time through, they both jump at the same time and Wakamatsu grunts when he’s forced back as Aomine sinks the shot without a care. Aomine eels around the blond on their next match-up, but Wakamatsu went up too fast and he’s off balance as a result.

190\. Wakamatsu lands awkwardly beneath the basket and collapses on his back, but Daiki makes the point with ease and lands on swift feet. He grabs the ball as it leaves the basket and launches from the court for a powerful dunk. 

191\. Daiki slams the ball through the hoop with excessive force, with just enough held back that he doesn’t break it free from the backboard. Tetsu always frowns when he breaks his toys. 

192\. The power forward hangs there for a moment, contemplating Wakamatsu’s awkward sprawl, before he drops. Maybe if he injures something more important than his throat, the center will finally get the message.

193\. Momoi’s strident “Dai-chan!” is promptly disregarded, but the soft “Aomine-kun…” that floats across the court is immediately heeded.

194\. Daiki shifts just enough to avoid landing on Wakamatsu’s pride and joy, easily swiping the ball out of the air on his way down. The power forward looms over Wakamatsu and the center freezes in place under that predatory gaze.

195\. Tetsu magically appears at his side and Daiki hands the ball over without another thought. A nudge to his side gets Daiki to relax and stop looming, but it takes another elbow to the ribs for the power forward to yield the last critical inch and allow Wakamatsu to rise to his feet.

196\. Kuroko stares blankly at Wakamatsu. “Please don’t provoke Aomine-kun. His impulse control is even lower than yours.”

197\. Daiki grins and drapes himself over Tetsu’s shoulders. He does what he wants, when he wants, and not even Tetsu can make him feel ashamed of that.

198\. Wakamatsu scowls down at them both. “If he practiced like everyone else, we wouldn’t have a problem.”

199\. Kuroko leans back to look at Aomine and then over at Momoi. “Did Aomine-kun do something interesting during practice this week?”

200\. Daiki smiles at the center over Tetsu’s shoulder and the threat is clear: tell Tetsu what happened last time and Wakamatsu won’t live to regret it.

201\. The blond grimaces. What gives this arrogant brat the right to try and intimidate him? “He slept through practice.”

202\. Kuroko offers the faintest hint of a frown. “He wasn’t in the gym?”

203\. Wakamatsu waves a hand at the stage in reply, but keeps a wary eye on the duo. Aomine may be the dangerous one, but it is Kuroko that holds the reins and that makes the smaller teen perilous in a different way.

204\. Kuroko merely blinks at the center and promptly dismisses Wakamatsu in favor of his light. “It’s time to practice, Aomine-kun.”

205\. The power forward nods agreeably and Wakamatsu watches in shock as the two move to an open hoop and Kuroko proceeds to keep Aomine occupied for the rest of practice.

206\. Wakamatsu looks to his captain for answers, but Imayoshi just smiles at Momoi and she shrugs. “Ah, that’s normal for them.”

207\. Imayoshi drifts over to talk with their manager. They can’t afford any more of these confrontations and talking with Kuroko meant Aomine was free to do as he pleased. “Normal, you say?”

208\. Momoi doesn’t even bother to look up, just jots down a few more numbers in her notebook. “Dai-chan always shuts down challengers hard, but Tetsu-kun doesn’t like it when he plays too rough.”

209\. Imayoshi does not know how they would have handled Aomine without Kuroko and thanks the heavens that the slight boy came to Tōō because Momoi is not even half as effective and Aomine honestly only listens to Kuroko.

210\. Daiki spots Meikō Junior High’s #7 walking into the gym and could not be more displeased because he wears Tōō’s uniform and has a registration slip in hand. He doesn’t care why and he doesn’t care how, but Tetsu is his shadow and he will not give him up to anyone, not for any reason under the sun.

211\. “Tsuya~!” Shige sings out as he enters Tōō’s gym looking for his best friend. “I’m here to play~!”

212\. When Tetsuya tries to turn and face his oldest friend, Aomine-kun blocks his view with a careless move and uses a quick pass to get Tetsuya re-focused on practice. It must be his imagination; Ogiwara-kun went to Meikō High, there’s no way he’s here at Tōō.

213\. Satsuki frowns because there’s something different about Ogiwara Shigehiro. He’s harder now than he was in Nationals, more disillusioned, but still so bright and open, sharp in a way that reminds her of Dai-chan and she knows this could be dangerous.

214\. Kuroko manages to see Ogiwara despite Aomine’s best efforts to the contrary and the smaller teen freezes in his tracks the moment he spots the small forward. Ogiwara smiles brightly when their eyes meet and Kuroko takes one step towards his childhood friend before Aomine dangles a basketball in front of his face and Wakamatsu yells at them to get back to practice.

215\. Aomine herds Kuroko to the opposite side of the gym so they can practice in peace, but Ogiwara merely follows them with that same smile, keeps his eyes on them even as Momoi tries to catch his attention by slipping between Ogiwara and Aomine. 

216\. His eyes are fixed on a point over her right shoulder, watching Aomine and Kuroko play together as Momoi talks to him. His shifts slightly when Imayoshi casually blocks the manager’s right side, but his attention is still fixed on Kuroko despite their best efforts.

217\. And when Ogiwara drops his smile and goes so, so still, like a predator stalking prey, Imayoshi and Momoi freeze just long enough for Ogiwara to slip by them and work his way into the pattern between Kuroko and Aomine.

218\. Matching pace with Kuroko is as easy as breathing for Shige, he slips into Kuroko’s flow as if this is the thousandth time and not the first, but Teikō’s #6 is rough around the edges, would be difficult to work with for a friendly guy like he was last year, but now their sharp edges meet and slide against each other and Kuroko smoothes the way between them until everything aligns. 

219\. The three of them fit together so close to perfect that it makes no difference. Kuroko becomes just a little more invisible, a little harder to see even when he has the ball, and Ogiwara smiles because this is what he envisioned when Kuroko was injured against Kamata West and he knew they wouldn’t face each other on the court. This is the real reason why he took Tōō’s entrance exam.

220\. Tetsuya gives a miniscule smile, enjoys himself with both his closest friends on the court, and while Ogiwara-kun showing up at Tōō is shocking, Tetsuya couldn’t be happier to have his oldest friend and his light on the same court with him.

221\. Daiki doesn’t like the small forward on principle, but Ogiwara makes the darkness deeper, makes Tetsu’s job easier, and for that Daiki will try to tolerate him. One day he might even be thankful.

222\. When Kuroko stays after practice to work on his shooting, Aomine and Ogiwara both pick up a ball and take up positions at his side to work on their own talents. The rest of the team looks at them oddly, but obediently files out of the gym at Momoi’s urging.

223\. When Aomine drives for the basket and Ogiwara absently moves in for a layup, Aomine drops back into a formless shot and sinks his basket right before Ogiwara’s ball bounces off the backboard and through the hoop. Aomine’s ball hits the floor first and impacts Ogiwara’s falling ball as it bounces back up, the two balls shooting off in opposite directions.

224\. Ogiwara and Aomine end up facing each other when they retrieve the balls and send glares across the court. Their practice quickly devolves into a one-on-one pick-up game at a nearby basket while Kuroko alternates between watching their opposing mechanics and trying to incorporate them into his shooting style.

225\. Kuroko lets an invisible smile slip across his face when he sees Aomine and Ogiwara interacting like this, because Aomine has taken to ignoring anyone he thinks won’t be worth the effort, and the taller teen really only makes friends by playing basketball. In fact, it feels like two cats fighting to establish dominance, but Kuroko knows Aomine will come out on top and Ogiwara will be able to accept that in a way Aomine never could because Aomine may be a beast on the court, but he is not a monster like the rest of the Generation of Miracles.

226\. Ogiwara smiles as he insists on walking Kuroko home like they did when they were kids and Aomine refuses to let the two of them leave without him, so Kuroko decides to take advantage of the extra muscle to pick up the groceries he's been thinking about buying for the past week.

227\. Kuroko loads Aomine down with honey and Ogiwara with lemons, picks up a few key ingredients for himself and then spends the rest of the evening doing homework in between chopping herbs and dumping them into honey jars. The first few go on the kitchen window, but he quickly runs out of room and the jars of honey find their way in front of every window in the house. They’re bound to have a game soon and Aomine literally devours honey lemons when he plays, while Ogiwara pops them like candy and Momoi can’t cook for the life of her, so it’s up to him to provide the treat.

228\. Ogiwara’s nice enough usually, an open sort, so he gets along with Tōō’s team just fine – really, he’s the opposite of Aomine in that way – but he’s really only close to Kuroko and tends to stick close to the other teen. He doesn’t take kindly to anyone trying to separate them and that’s where his issue with Aomine starts and ends. If Aomine didn’t try to keep Kuroko way from him, they wouldn’t have a problem.

229\. Instead Kuroko has two overprotective guardians that refuse to let him out of their sight and the games they play after practice don’t seem to help them work out their issues. Aomine’s the better player, but Ogiwara refuses to give up his claim to Kuroko and that means they keep butting heads.

230\. It's common knowledge that Aomine and Ogiwara challenge each other to short pick-up games while they wait for Kuroko to finish his private practice after the team's done for the day and Imayoshi decides that it’s time to see how good Aomine Daiki really is. He pairs Ogiwara with Kuroko in the next practice and runs head first into a wall.

231\. “I’m not playing on the opposite team as Tetsu,” Aomine tells Imayoshi as he swings an arm over Tetsu’s shoulders and refuses to move.

232\. Ogiwara does the same on the opposite side of Kuroko and it could not be more clear that neither forward will play against Kuroko in any capacity and that means they need practice games because a bored Aomine is a dangerous Aomine and Tōō will only be able to entertain him for so long. The power forward can destroy other teams all he likes, but damaging Tōō is not even a footnote in Imayoshi’s plans.

233\. The captain arranges a scrimmage anyway – better to see the damage now than to find it later – and puts Aomine and Ogiwara on the same team, but makes sure to keep Kuroko off the court.

234\. Aomine and Ogiwara move together like great hunting cats, harrying their prey and driving them into a frenzy as they score point after point. Imayoshi nods in satisfaction. They can work together, but that something extra is missing and he knows it’s because Kuroko’s not on the court with them.

235\. The coach tells Momoi to arrange a practice game with Kamata West High and waves away her objections. They’ll be a good opponent for Tōō given it’s an elevator school and most of their junior high team stayed in the area despite losing at Nationals. It’ll be a team strong enough to get Aomine and Ogiwara used to working with each other against a common enemy and he’ll finally get to see how they work together with Kuroko on the court.

236\. Satsuki knows this is going to be a disaster in the making, so bad it makes her cringe inside because she knows Dai-chan basically hates the twins from Kamata West Junior High – twins who had joined Kamata West High – and somehow the coach had managed to forget what happened to Kuroko last year, and Aomine the year before that, in their games against Kamata West. 

237\. And well, if the coach forgot, their captain plain didn’t care and that was a whole different problem.

238\. Aomine and Ogiwara spot Kamata West’s genius twins at the same time and savage grins fill their faces. Here is an enemy they both want to destroy and they have no inhibitions about ganging up to play against this team.

239\. The way Tōō’s #5 and #8 stalk onto the court with vicious smiles catches the attention of the entire Kamata West team and the twins pale as they recognize their old opponents.

240\. The whistle blows and suddenly Aomine and Ogiwara are everywhere, the court deepening between them, black light spilling from their fingertips until they are hunting in the dark and it is glorious because no eye can pierce their bloody night and they rule here without end. This is what they were born to do, they have no higher purpose, and soon everyone will know it.

241\. Tōō knows not what they have formed this day, the savagery they have unleashed upon the world, but Momoi and Imayoshi know they will regret this day even if they don’t know why.

242\. The coach, captain, and manager all look at each other as Aomine and Ogiwara score their thirty-fourth unanswered point in the first quarter and something passes between them. None of them had expected something like this and it may be cruel, but they need to know how long the two of them can keep this up and what they do when they’re on the court together without Kuroko.

243\. Satsuki runs to the referee with a substitution the moment one of the twins tries to foul Dai-chan, because Dai-chan and Shige-min grin and their plan is so transparent it hurts. They’re going to narrow in on the player, push him harder and harder until he breaks under the pressure, and then they’re going to keep going until there’s nothing left and they’re going to enjoy it.

244\. The moment Kuroko steps onto the court, something changes. Aomine and Ogiwara immediately focus in on their shadow and the savage energy between them expands to include Tōō’s #13, but it morphs in an odd way, gentles to Kuroko’s touch as the passing specialist disappears into the court so thoroughly that not even Imayoshi’s wide open eyes can see him and the captain knows he’s going to see something amazing.

245\. …

246\. When Momoi pulls Imayoshi aside at half-time and takes the time to explain just why Aomine and Ogiwara were so vicious, why she had been against arranging the game, the captain knows that the game isn’t just about winning anymore, it’s about protecting Kuroko, because if that was revenge for an injury from last year, Imayoshi doesn’t want to think about how the two players would react if Kuroko was injured in front of them.

247\. Kuroko looks to his left as he leaves the court and finds Ogiwara standing close enough to touch, looks to his right and finds Aomine at his shoulder. He knows how tense the two of them are, how close they are to breaking into true violence on the court, and knows he has to stop that from happening.

248\. Kuroko goes to his bag and pulls out four large containers and two smaller ones. The smallest box is teal and filled with vanilla-infused honey lemons and the second is intended for Momoi given its pink exterior. Two of the boxes are white and match Ogiwara’s traditional tastes, matcha green tea-infused honey lemons in one box and shinshu apple-infused honey lemons in the other. The other two boxes are a dark blue meant for Aomine, pear-infused honey lemons and mint-infused honey lemons respectively.

249\. Aomine takes his boxes gleefully and pops one open to grab a slice of lemon that smells faintly of mint. The tanned teen completely ignores the rest of the room as he tilts his head back and drops the thin slice into his mouth. It’s his treat and he’s not sharing.

250\. Ogiwara promptly opens one of his boxes and sets a delicate honey-soaked lemon slice on his tongue. There’s a hint of matcha green tea that tantalizes his taste buds and the teen starts munching his way through the lemons with a happy smile.

251\. Aomine and Ogiwara jealously guard their treats and refuse to let the other players even touch the boxes, so Sakurai pulls out his own container of honey lemons and offers them to the rest of the team with a guilty smile. Aomine and Ogiwara grab a slice each, but evidently they don’t compare to Kuroko’s bribes, so the two forwards ignore the new box and Wakamatsu ends up eating the majority of the honey lemons in a few minutes.

252\. Imayoshi watches Aomine and Ogiwara exchange a single lemon slice with each other and frown as the flavored honey touches their tongue. Both immediately return to scarfing their own treats and by the time the Tōō captain turns to get his own portion of Sakurai’s honey lemons, Aomine and Ogiwara have eaten through the first box and started on their second with smiles of delight and Imayoshi only gets a single lemon slice from Sakurai.

253\. Momoi offers her own box of honey lemons with a smile and Kuroko promptly replaces it with a small container of delicate lavender-infused honey lemons that Momoi refuses to let any of the boys approach. She enjoys the treat and Kuroko quickly removes the box from Momoi’s sight, hiding it in his bag with all due haste.

254\. Imayoshi takes a peak into the box and wisely decides Kuroko was right to hide it. Momoi definitely qualifies as a horrible cook; she’d placed whole lemons in the honey without cutting them into slices and the mess was beyond inedible.

255\. Kuroko offers a red container to Imayoshi and the captain opens it to find even more honey lemons. The taste of pure honey is sweet on his tongue and he eats his fill before letting the rest of the team have a taste.

256\. Momoi approaches the captain during the last time out before the game ends. “Imayoshi-san, it might be best if you let Dai-chan have the game ball.”

257\. Imayoshi just smiles at her ever-so-politely in reply. He’s willing to make quite a few concessions for their ace, and Momoi-san was right about Aomine’s reaction to Kamata West, but it’s still an away game and that means the game ball belongs to their opponent. Asking to keep it would be impolite.

258\. Satsuki gives Imayoshi a pitying glance. The captain didn’t listen, so he’ll just have to deal with the consequences. She shrugs and trots off to find a towel for Tetsu-kun. Kami only knows what Dai-chan’s going to drag back if he can’t have the game ball.

259\. Aomine and Ogiwara offer brusque bows to their opponents during the usual after-game courtesies, but when the tanned teen goes to claim the game ball, Imayoshi hands it to the opposing captain with a polite smile.

260\. Daiki pauses for a moment and then grins before turning on his heel and stalking towards the twins. If he can’t have the game ball, well, this should be a fine substitute.

261\. Aomine grabs the back of one of the twin’s uniforms – he doesn’t care which one – and drags the teen across the floor to Kuroko’s feet. He gives a particularly hard yank and pulls the teen’s uniform over his head with one hand.

262\. Tetsu extends his hands with a blank face, a white towel draped between them, and Daiki drops the uniform top on the fabric with satisfaction.

263\. Ogiwara drags the second twin over to Kuroko moments after he sees Aomine offer Kuroko the uniform and repeats the tanned teen’s actions, dropping the other twin’s uniform on top of his brother’s with inappropriate glee.

264\. The entire Kamata West team bristles and several players move forward with the intent to reclaim their teammate’s jerseys – and considering the twins seem to be abiding by the principle “if I don’t move, they can’t see me; if they can’t see me, they won’t hurt me,” they’re certainly not going to do it themselves – but every single one of them freezes at Aomine’s flat stare. That is a predator they have no interest in challenging. Ogiwara’s demented grin doesn’t help.

265\. Kuroko folds the edges of the towel over the uniforms and tucks the package away. Best to hide the evidence before it incites a riot. Aomine’s intimidation can only do so much and he doesn’t want his lights benched for the season due to fighting.

266\. Imayoshi catches Kuroko slipping away from Ogiwara and Aomine after the game and saunters after him. If the teal-haired teen deliberately left his two protective bodyguards behind, then whatever he’s going to do is bound to be interesting. Not to mention Aomine would make his life hell if Kuroko got hurt on his watch and there’s less than ten minutes until the bus leaves.

267\. The captain of Kamata West starts when a teal-haired teen suddenly appears right in front of him and offers him two carefully folded uniforms. The captain eyes Kuroko warily – Tōō’s forwards brought this teen the uniforms like offerings at a shrine – but extends the game ball with one hand. A single basketball is a simple price to pay to get the twin’s uniforms back.

268\. The exchange happens like a business transaction, one basketball for two uniforms, and Kuroko bows politely at the end. He’ll take a clean basketball, scuffed though it may be, over dirty uniforms any day. And he definitely owes Momoi for getting him that towel.

269\. Imayoshi watches the exchange from around a corner and slips back to the team before the teal-haired teen when it’s clear Kuroko is heading back to the bus. Taking the game ball may be impolite, but it’s certainly better for Tōō’s reputation than keeping the jerseys as some type of bizarre prize.

270\. Daiki’s seconds away from punching Wakamatsu because Tetsu’s missing – not his usual misdirection, but actually missing – and the blond won’t shut up and Susa’s clearly under orders from Imayoshi to stop him from going anywhere because he keeps blocking his way, and, hell, he might as well deck that bastard too –

271\. Daiki drops his fist the moment Tetsu rounds the corner and looks his shadow over carefully, relaxing only when he’s sure that Tetsu has returned unharmed. His hackles go up when he can’t find the twin’s jerseys anywhere on his partner, but he settles down when Tetsu placidly displays the game ball instead.

272\. Imayoshi watches carefully from his position by the bus doors as the team clambers aboard, but refuses to turn around and stop the fight between Aomine and Ogiwara once he’s settled in his seat at the front. Kuroko can handle them both just fine.

273\. The captain shifts to keep an eye on the bus when Momoi’s long pink hair catches his eye. He takes one look at her sly smile and promptly shifts his attention to Kuroko.

274\. If Aomine needs to give the game ball to Kuroko after matches, well, Imayoshi will just have to make sure Tōō supplies the game ball every time they play. The captain eyes Ogiwara carefully. Better make sure they use two games balls, or Ogiwara’s going to try to one-up Aomine and drag back one of their opponents so he can give Kuroko their uniform in place of a game ball. 

275\. And Aomine will see that as a challenge and bring back a uniform and a game ball in return and the only way he can see that ending is with every single member of the opposing team playing shirtless because they can’t afford to lose their uniforms. Even Aomine wouldn’t be crazy enough to steal their pants, Imayoshi hopes, but he wouldn’t bet on it given the way Aomine presents Kuroko with trophies from all of his matches – even the ones that happen in practice. He should probably be thankful that he’s only taken basketballs up until now – and suddenly the basketball that disappeared after Aomine and Wakamatsu’s first confrontation makes so much more sense.

276\. Aomine and Ogiwara lean on Kuroko with lazy grace when they’re standing, lounge nearby when they’re bored and he’s busy. Aomine regularly falls asleep on Kuroko’s lap and Ogiwara uses his shoulder for a pillow and the two of them refuse to let anyone else near Kuroko on the bus. They’re like great cats, friendly when they want to be, but inherently dangerous and they come only to Kuroko’s call.

277\. They’re not quite a matched set – Kami only knows what they’d do if they had to deal with two copies of Aomine Daiki – but their hunting patterns are disturbingly similar for two people with such diametrically opposed attitudes. 

278\. Ogiwara’s one of those cats that decides for itself, the ones that twine around the feet of the people they’re fond of and viciously damage anyone and anything they don’t happen to like. He’s generally friendly enough, but he’s not interested in getting close to anyone other than Kuroko and he’s got a disturbing tendency to lounge in high places when Kuroko’s not around. 

279\. Ogiwara couldn’t be normal and stay on the stage like Aomine, or even on top of the bleachers, oh no, he likes the kind of heights that are guaranteed to deal permanent damage when people fall from them. Places like the gym’s exterior rafters or the odd stage rigging – both over ten meters off the ground – are his favorite locations for relaxing and no one’s quite sure how he gets up there, just that they’re not going to try whatever harebrained method he found for accomplishing it.

280\. So if Ogiwara’s a leopard, Aomine’s a black jaguar, one that prefers to spend his time sleeping rather than interacting with the world and knows no other path than going for the jugular. He defends and claims his territory with predatory intent and a casual viciousness that Imayoshi can almost admire. There’s nothing planned about it, nothing predetermined or sadistic, just an honest disregard for anyone that isn’t Kuroko and anything that isn’t basketball, and that’s the problem.

281\. The captain hasn’t quite figured out how Kuroko fits into the metaphor, if he’s territory or hunting partner, cub or precious resource, but it’s rather obvious he’s at the top of their hierarchy of needs and they’re not willing to give him up. At least Kuroko’s role off the court is blessedly clear: Kuroko is lead and leash all in one, guide and guardian to the two savage souls trapped in human skin and Imayoshi could not be more grateful.

282\. …

283\. Midorima watches Daiki circle Tōō as the team warms up and knows the beast is out to play. There’s a second predator checking its territory, circling Tōō in the opposite direction as Aomine and he finds it hard to believe Teikō’s old power forward is willing to share sentinel with anyone.

284\. Only Takao notices that while the paths of the two power forwards are ever-changing, Kuroko stands at their center and it is his actions that dictate the change, it is Kuroko that stands at the protected core of the entwined relationship between the three of them, a relationship that spreads across the court and tethers two predatory souls to the humanity of their third.

285\. …

286\. Takao takes one look at the way Aomine and Ogiwara casually drape themselves across Kuroko once the game ends and takes it as a personal challenge. Shūtoku’s #10 spends the entire week finding more and more bizarre ways to show his friendship with Shin-chan, from tossing an arm over his friend’s shoulder to leaning on the shooter and trying to fall asleep on the green-haired teen.

287\. …

288\. Seirin trails into the gym after their manager, taking a wide track to avoid the practicing Tōō team. They spread out to begin practice, but Kagami freezes in place when he spots something strange.

289\. “Kagami,” Aida asks sweetly, “why aren’t you moving?”

290\. The redhead points to the corner without taking his eyes off the strange sight.

291\. Sunlight stripes across the floor on their side of the gym and splashes across two prone bodies. It’s clear they’re basketball players, and they’ve got great stats, but their heads are shrouded in shadow due to their position in the corner. Aida assumes they’re Tōō’s forwards, considering one of the players has tanned skin, and wants them gone from her side of the gym.

292\. Aida smiles and the air around her sparkles. “Well, why don’t you get them to move?”

293\. Kagami takes a single step forward and two pairs of eyes open in the dark. Brilliant blue and bronze eyes pin the redhead in place as the rest of the team slowly gathers around Seirin’s power forward.

294\. They peer into the corner and can barely spot Prussian blue hair resting on someone’s lap and chestnut hair resting on the same person’s shoulder.

295\. Blank cyan eyes open slowly under the scrutiny and the two people resting on the slighter teen immediately give predatory smiles and shift into more aggressive postures. The brunet straightens and reaches behind ruffled powder-blue hair with one arm to lean against the opposite wall while the tanned teen sits up and props his own arm against the wall behind the brunet so that the two predators frame the teal teen between them.

296\. Aida eyes the two protective teens warily before promptly turning and walking across the court. It’s not her job to deal with them and she’s not going to.

297\. Seirin’s captain and the infamous ‘Iron Heart’ Kiyoshi trail after the girl who is both their manager and their coach as she approaches the smiling Tōō captain. “I assume you know two of your players were napping on a third in our half of the gym.”

298\. Imayoshi tucks away his ire and eye-smiles at the trio. “Do the first two remind you of cats and the third’s almost impossible to see?”

299\. Kiyoshi smiles. “They look so comfortable.”

300\. Hyūga eyes Kiyoshi suspiciously before facing Imayoshi. “Please get them off our side of the court.”

301\. “Before something bad happens” doesn’t have to be said; Imayoshi has met Kiyoshi before and the center’s idea of fun could only be considered strange.

302\. The Seirin manager smiles and there’s something sharp about it. “It’s really very suspicious behavior.”

303\. Imayoshi waves off her observation. “Please don’t worry about it.” The captain smiles as he looks over her shoulder. “Oh, it looks like your team needs you.”

304\. Aida refuses to turn around. “They can last a few more minutes.” The manager eyes Momoi as the pink-haired teen approaches her captain. “Your players are distracting my team. Please remove them.”

305\. Kiyoshi smiles brightly. “Our kitty really wants them to come out and play, but it looks like they don’t like him much.”

306\. Imayoshi turns the conversation over to Momoi with a few polite words before he deliberately turns around to find his errant players. Aomine and Ogiwara are framing Kuroko between them more aggressively than usual, but Aomine has yet to begin sneering and Ogiwara’s smile is still as friendly as ever.

307\. Imayoshi relaxes. This is nothing in comparison to the way the two forwards staked out a corner of Tōō’s room at the onsen for themselves and Kuroko. There’s literally a border-zone around their sleeping space and they refuse to let a single person near enough to even touch Kuroko’s bedroll in the corner.

308\. Kagami takes another step forward and Aomine and Ogiwara’s hackles go up as they flow to their feet in reaction, each of them extending a hand to Kuroko without a second thought to help him out of the corner.

309\. When Imayoshi gives his apologies and leaves the group, Aida finally turns around and follows the Tōō captain’s path across the floor. It is just like Kagami to anger players from another team and it’s just their luck that it looks like the confrontation is going to move off the court given the way the tanned teen from Tōō is cracking his knuckles.

310\. “Now that you’re up, why don’t you go practice,” Imayoshi says with a creepy smile and all the pieces finally fall into place for Aida. That’s Aomine Daiki the captain is addressing, the power forward of the Generation of Miracles. No wonder they let him sleep; if he’s even remotely similar to Kise Ryōta or Midorima Shintaro, it’s probably easier than dealing with him, even if it did look like he had a designated handler in the teal-haired teen with a crazy case of bedhead.

311\. “So these are the stats of the Ace of the Generation of Miracles,” Kagami hears the coach mutter as she eyes the tan teen. He’s faced both Teikō’s copycat and their shooting guard, but it’d be different kind of challenge to face off against a fellow power forward.

312\. Kagami purposely plants himself in the path of blue-haired teen and refuses to move even when both Tōō players level intimidating glares in his direction.

313\. Aomine’s lip rises in the start of a snarl. “Move.”

314\. “Not until you play me,” Kagami replies and ignores the brunet who yawns at the declaration and begins to smooth the shorter teen’s hair.

315\. Daiki looks at the redhead skeptically and then looks down at his shadow, but Tetsu just offers a minute shrug. Daiki’s lips quirk in return and he shares a look with Ogiwara before they shepherd Tetsu past the idiot and back towards Tōō’s side of the court.

316\. “Afraid you’ll lose?” Kagami taunts and Aomine deigns to turn around and sneer at the interloper.

317\. “No,” Aomine drawls as he steals a ball from one of the Seirin team members and blasts past Kagami with transparent ease to sink the ball into the net behind him. “You’re just too boring.”

318\. Daiki ignores the redhead’s growl and eyes the way Ogiwara has virtually gone back to sleep on Tetsu’s shoulder despite the fact they’re both standing up. The tanned teen smirks and throws the ball at Ogiwara’s head. “Wake up.”

319\. Kuroko shrugs his shoulder moments before the ball would impact Ogiwara’s face and the chestnut-haired teen catches the ball with half-open eyes and a wide yawn. “So I get Tsuya first?”

320\. Daiki stalks across the gym and pulls Tetsu away from Ogiwara with an arm around his shoulders. “Tetsu’s mine.”

321\. “Aomine-kun, Ogiwara-kun, please don’t provoke each other. We can practice together,” Kuroko says blankly as he turns away from Seirin and the two bickering teens follow him across the court to a basket that has clearly – deliberately – been left open for their use.

322\. Kagami looks like he’s going to follow them, but Aomine and Ogiwara look over their shoulders and grin, more a baring of teeth than a real smile for all that they use the same muscles, and the redhead freezes in place.

323\. Hyūga takes advantage of the moment to drag Seirin’s power forward back to their side of the court. Letting their crazy tiger get near those three was only going to give Kagami the chance to pick a fight and, given Aomine’s reputation, it wouldn’t go in the redhead’s favor.

324\. Imayoshi smiles as he pulls Aomine and Ogiwara aside a few hours later. “Please get over yourselves. Kuroko’s busy enough as it is, he doesn’t need the extra work that comes from babysitting two fuming toddlers.”

325\. Ogiwara pouts. “I’m not a kid.”

326\. “But you act like one,” Imayoshi says with another smile. “You’re both little kids fighting over the same toy.”

327\. Aomine scowls. “We get along fine.”

328\. Imayoshi opens his eyes and his friendly smile sends shivers down their spines. “Let me put it a different way: we’re going to win the Winter Cup. There are no other options.”

329\. Satsuki shows up at the captain’s side and spells it out for Dai-chan. “We need Kuroko at full strength to win against Rakuzan and we need all three of you on the court, but Kuroko spends too much time covering for you two, smoothing out your rough edges, to actually play the game like he’s meant to. You need to compromise.”

330\. The two teens glare at each other and Momoi sighs in exasperation. “You don’t have to like each other, you just need to play nice. Dai-chan, Shige-min can’t take your place, he doesn’t play power forward. Shige-min, Dai-chan isn’t trying to stop you from being Tetsu-kun’s friend.”

331\. Aomine and Ogiwara open their mouths to reply, but Momoi quells the two forwards with a look. “You can share Tetsu-kun. That’s normal between friends. He’s not going to abandon either of you for the other, so learn to get along.”

332\. Kuroko appears between the two forwards with nary a sound. “Is something wrong?”

333\. “No, nothing’s wrong Tetsu-kun.” Momoi smiles, but there’s something off about it.

334\. Tetsuya frowns at the manager and captain, but Aomine-kun and Ogiwara-kun each throw an arm around his shoulders and for once they don’t glare at each other while they do it. 

335\. “We’re fine, Tetsu,” Daiki says as he begins to lead the group away from Satsuki.

336\. “No worries, Tsuya,” Shige chimes in with a smile. Now that it’s been pointed out, he can see the built-up stress in Kuroko and it rubs him the wrong way to be the cause of such tension in his best friend.

337\. Practice moves smoothly after that, Aomine and Ogiwara completely ignoring the Seirin team in favor of Kuroko with the clear intent of helping their over-burdened shadow relax.

338\. Later that night Aomine and Ogiwara sneak out of the room and meet on a nearby basketball court. Kuroko follows them, half-asleep and yawning with messy bedhead, but falls back asleep on one of the nearby benches with Ogiwara’s blanket and Aomine’s pillow when it’s clear they’re only going to play a game of one-on-one.

339\. Kagami sneaks out after the trio when he spots them leaving the onsen and seeing the two forwards face off at full power is astonishing, but even to someone as thick as Kagami, it’s clear that the two of them are working something out on the court and he shouldn’t interrupt if he values his life.

340\. Aomine dunks the ball and Ogiwara answers with a picture-perfect layup. Aomine scores a formless shot and Ogiwara does a double clutch in reply. It’s a conversation on the court, and while Kagami doesn’t know their dialect, their shoulders loosen the longer they play and both teens begin to grin.

341\. Aomine drops into the zone first with a gleeful smile, the direct increase in skill goading Ogiwara into dropping into the zone to face the challenge and their actions grow exponentially crazier.

342\. Ogiwara twists to the side around Aomine and spins the ball sideways off the tips of his fingers in a delicate lateral curve to score a basket. Aomine responds by leaning backwards and making the next basket with a savage grin despite being almost parallel to the concrete.

343\. Kagami can’t help but want to join in when he watches them play – it looks like so much fun – but he’s wary of intruding on two such savage predators. It may seem like they’re in a better mood now – and there’s no denying that they’d be a great challenge – but he doesn’t particularly like them and they’re clearly not very fond of him.

344\. …

345\. “Kirisaki Daïchi has Hanamiya Makoto,” Satsuki warns Daiki a week before the first round of the Winter Cup, “and it’s highly likely we’ll be facing them next week.”

346\. Aomine scowls at the news, but Ogiwara looks at them both like they’re crazy and Momoi deigns to explain her warning. “Kirisaki Daïchi is an entire team that plays like the twins from Kamata West, except it’s not fouls they’re going for, it’s injuries, and Hanamiya’s the worst of the bunch.” 

347\. Shige tilts his head to the side. “There a reason we can’t just treat them like the twins?”

348\. Momoi purses her lips. “Hanamiya is the most unscrupulous of the Uncrowned Kings and his center’s supposed to be a genius.”

349\. Ogiwara looks over at Aomine and it’s clear he’s not happy. “Tsuya’s not going in that game.”

350\. “That’s not for you to decide,” Momoi scolds them both when it’s clear Aomine agrees with the small forward.

351\. …

352\. “You just had to piss Testu off, didn’t you?” Aomine lets a vicious grin slip across his face. “Well, at least now he won’t stop me from beating you into the ground!”

353\. …

354\. It’s no surprise to the basketball community that every member of the Generation of Miracles has advanced to the second round of the Winter Cup and taken their teams along for the ride. They’re waiting for when they face off against each other – those games in the Interhigh were the most notable – and the first possible match-up between the Generation of Miracles is in the quarter-finals when Tōō will face Yōsen. Whether by chance or circumstance, the tournament’s almost perfectly seeded so that those five won’t face each other until the final rounds and that’s when it’ll get interesting. 

355\. …


	4. Fire in the Sky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If Kise Ryōta was just a touch more persistent…
> 
> If Aomine Daiki still loved the game…
> 
> If Kuroko Tetsuya refused to surrender…
> 
> If Ogiwara Shigehiro stood strong…
> 
> They spark like fire in the sky, burning hot and hard as they reduce everything in their path to ashes.
> 
> Tōō merely sits back to watch the show.

1\. Kise is persistent, some would even say obsessed, with playing basketball with Kuroko Tetsuya, with beating Aomine Daiki on the court, with basketball in its entirety, and his passion burns blindingly bright. 

2\. Kuroko knows this is because he nurtured that spark carefully, has seen how hot and hard and fast Kise can burn, losing interest as quickly as he masters the sport, and here in basketball he has found a challenge he cannot yet overcome.

3\. …

4\. The Generation of Miracles may be monsters, but Teikō’s #6 and #8 face him head on with close to all of their power and when Shigehiro’s team gives up, he cannot help but acknowledge the truth. Teikō is stronger, better, faster, than Meikō, but he will not give up, he will not dishonor his promise to Kuroko and he will not yield. If at least one of them will fight honorably with their whole power, then he will not give up.

5\. He faces Aomine Daiki and Kise Ryota again and again within those white lines and loses every time, but holds his head high and his resolution burns across the court in every action he takes. This is the promise he made and he will not fail.

6\. …

7\. Daiki yawns as Satsuki pushes him into the classroom, but easily takes his seat and falls back asleep when she disappears to check Tetsu’s enrollment.

8\. Ogiwara identifies Teikō’s old power forward the minute the tanned teen enters the classroom and isn’t sure quite how he feels about being in the same class as Aomine. The usually cheerful teen actually frowns when Teikō’s copycat enters the room a few minutes later followed by a very large number of girls all trying to get his attention.

9\. Ogiwara grabs his basketball and follows Aomine up to the roof at lunch. He slips through the door to lean against the wall, but Aomine doesn’t even look up when he hears the door close.

10\. Shige eyes the dark-skinned teen lounging on the roof. “I take it you’re Aomine Daiki.”

11\. “Yeah, so what?” Aomine responds brazenly as he looks up at the blue sky. Satsuki just confirmed Tetsu’s not enrolled at Tōō and he’s more than a little pissed off.

12\. “Ogiwara Shigehiro,” the other teen introduces himself, tacking on another identifier when Aomine ignores him. “Meikō’s #7.”

13\. When Aomine pushes himself to his feet and doesn’t even spare him a glance, Ogiwara continues with ill grace. “We played at nationals.”

14\. “Am I supposed to care?” Aomine sneers as he brushes past the other teen on his way to the door.

15\. “I’m Kuroko Tetsuya’s childhood friend,” Ogiwara states and that makes Aomine pay attention.

16\. The power forward swings around with a scowl, but Kise pops out of the door to the roof before the other two teens can get into a fight.

17\. “You going to practice later Aominecchi?” Kise asks curiously as he waves off the hoard of girls following him with a brilliant smile and promises of pictures and autographs later.

18\. “Promised Tetsu,” Aomine grunts out as he turns away from the other two teens and heads back to class. Sleeping on the roof clearly hasn’t worked out, so he’ll have to try the classroom again.

19\. “I wanna see Kurokocchi,” Kise whines as he follows the power forward down the stairs. “I came here because it meant I could play with Kurokocchi and he’s not even here. You said you were going to the same school!”

20\. Aomine scowls. “He’s not here, so get over it.”

21\. “You can’t tell me you don’t miss Tsuya,” Ogiwara accuses as he absently spins the basketball on his pointer finger as they walk.

22\. “He’s my shadow,” Aomine asserts as he stares down the other teen. 

23\. Ignored by the other two forwards, Kise alternates between bouncing and moping as he answers the question that was meant for Aomine. “I miss Kurokocchi lots and lots and lots! I miss his hair, and his voice, and his eyes…”

24\. “I’m his oldest friend,” Ogiwara shoots back. “We’ve known each other since we were kids.”

25\. “You’ve never played together,” Aomine sneers. “We have.”

26\. “…his teaching ability, his odd sense of humor,” Kise continues in the background before he pauses for a moment and then loudly announces: “Ah, I know, we should kidnap Kurokocchi!”

27\. “Kise, that’s illegal,” the captain scolds the blond absently as he passes by the trio on their way down from the roof. When his mind catches up to his mouth, Imayoshi stops in his tracks and turns to face the three teens with a large smile. “I really don’t care what you’re planning, but whatever it is, if you get caught, I’ll kill you.”

28\. Kise gives a guilty smile. “Ah, we’re not planning anything, Captain, honest.”

29\. Imayoshi widens his smile. “Just remember, we have a game on Friday. Get caught and I’ll kill you all.”

30\. Once the captain is gone, Aomine steals the ball from Ogiwara and throws it at his fellow member of the Generation of Miracles. “Kise, you’re an idiot.”

31\. The blond catches the ball easily and sends it back at Aomine’s head. “You got a better idea?”

32\. “Hey,” Ogiwara swipes the ball out of the air with one hand and tucks it under his arm as he pulls out his phone with the other hand. “I’m all for retrieving Tsuya, but do you even know what school he’s attending?”

33\. “Satsuki’ll know,” Aomine responds carelessly. “She keeps tabs on everyone, especially Tetsu.”

34\. “Isn’t she busy reorganizing the club Aominecchi?”

35\. Ogiwara ignores the by-play between the Generation of Miracles and sends a test to Kuroko asking about his school. He gets a one-word reply: Seirin.

36\. “Seirin, he’s at Seirin.” Ogiwara’s lips quirk into a half smile. “Wanna go pick him up?”

37\. Aomine immediately switches direction and heads for the school gate. “Kise, put on some glasses or something. We’re going on a trip.”

38\. “He’ll totally understand if we miss the first practice,” Kise reassures Aomine as he pulls a pair of sunglasses and a hat out of a pocket.

39\. All three of them skip their after-lunch classes and walk to a nearby subway station to catch a ride across Tokyo to Seirin’s prefecture without a second thought. They want Kuroko back and there’s very little they won’t do to achieve that goal. Kidnapping is the least of it.

40\. …

41\. Aomine pulls off Kise’s hat with one hand and his sunglasses with the other before shoving the blond at a nearby group of girls. “Distract them.”

42\. Kise serves as a wonderful diversion, the loud noise of his fans covering the opening of the door as the other two members of the Tōō basketball team sneak inside the Seirin gym.

43\. Aomine homes in on Kuroko the moment they slip through the doors as the only girl in the gym looks around and asks “Is Kuroko-kun here?”

44\. Ogiwara speaks up as the Seirin team notices them. “Ah, sorry for the intrusion.” 

45\. Kuroko looks startled to see his oldest friend and his light in the same place, wearing the same uniform, but that’s nothing compared to the way the Seirin team jumps backwards like they’ve seen a ghost the moment Kuroko becomes visible.

46\. “As you can see, he’s right here,” the chestnut-haired teen continues as Aomine blithely ignores everyone and leans down to toss Kuroko over his shoulder, “but we’re taking him back to Tōō.”

47\. The teal-haired teen lets out a faintly scolding “Aomine-kun…” as the power forwards turns towards the door and steps around a scowling red-head.

48\. Aomine marches out the door with Kuroko tossed over his shoulder, Ogiwara chattering away at the smaller teen as he follows them. “So we both ended up at Tōō and there’s no way I was staying there without you, you know…”

49\. Kise pokes his head inside the gym before the doors close to apologize with a cheerful “Sorry ‘bout that~!” that makes things even more confusing.

50\. …

51\. Midorima stops Takao before he can ask the questions bubbling on his lips. There are some books that should never be opened, some questions that should never be asked, and some answers that should never be spoken.

52\. Kuroko bows and his eyes hold a painful certainty. Some truths should never be forgotten.

53\. …

54\. Kuroko stops at Takao’s side as he moves off the court. “Every end has a reason.”

55\. “Then what about beginnings?” Takao challenges as Kuroko walks away from him.

56\. “Beginnings are based on chance,” Midorima says as he places a hand on Takao’s shoulder.

57\. Kuroko turns to face them again at that statement. “No. Every beginning is a gift, an ember meant to be nurtured and fanned into a flame.”

58\. Ogiwara approaches and throws an arm around Kuroko’s shoulders as he grins at the Shūtoku duo. “All it takes is a single spark.”

59\. …

60\. It is Tetsuya’s philosophy, and Ogiwara may have been there at the start, but it is Kise who provides the opportunity and Aomine who makes it shine. This is their truth and they will never stop.

61\. They are like fire in the sky, fireworks that burst and shatter and reform brighter than ever and Kuroko is both the spark that sets them off and night sky in which they play, the darkness that will never reject them, will never turn them away, and they know they are blessed.

62\. Imayoshi can only sit back and watch them blaze, knowing that Kuroko will stop them before they burn themselves out.

63\. …

64\. Kagami may mean fire spirit, but he pales before the blaze they create and their fire spreads across the court like it’s an open sky ready and waiting for their design, their flames yielding only to Kuroko’s experienced hand.

65\. …

66\. Tōō has never burned so hot or played so hard, and still they fall short of the brilliance bursting into flame before them.

67\. …

68\. ...

 

[Kuroko is the brilliant black night and the darkest moon, and they shine like fire in the glory of his endless night.]


	5. Forge of Many Forms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If Kagami Taiga didn’t have a promise to hold him back…
> 
> If Aomine Daiki still loved the game…
> 
> If Kuroko Tetsuya refused to surrender…
> 
> If Ogiwara Shigehiro stood strong…
> 
> Step by step they [will] build the road they walk upon in their forge of many forms and not even an army will be able to stop them now.
> 
> Tōō knows better than to stand in their way.

1\. One by one, the Generation of Miracles slowly begin to fade even as they grow sharper and harder and Kuroko can see where this will go, can see the inevitable end, and he has no place there.

2\. …

3\. Kuroko approaches the tall redhead. There’s no one else on the court at this time of night and Ogiwara’s advice hasn’t worked yet. Maybe this basketball player will have a better idea, because the kami know his haven’t panned out. “What would you do if your best friend started skipping practice?”

4\. Kagami startles and misses his shot. “What the!” The teen searches the area to find who just spoke and finally spots Kuroko. “Where the hell did you come from?”

5\. Kuroko frowns. “I’ve been here for several minutes. What would you do if your best friend started skipping practice?”

6\. Taiga eyes the strange, poker-faced boy and then shrugs. “I’d drag him back.”

7\. Tetsuya looks to his own thin arms and then the redhead’s strong frame and deadpans, “I don’t think that’s an option.”

8\. Taiga looks down at the slight teen and decides to hell with it. “Why’s he skipping, anyway?”

9\. The stranger’s mouth tenses and Kagami gets the impression of a frown. “He’s bored. There’s no one left to challenge him.”

10\. Kagami shoots and makes a basket. “So why doesn’t he just hold back in games?”

11\. The pale teen blinks. “How would you feel if someone held back against you? Wouldn’t that be insulting?” 

12\. The shorter teen continues in a voice Taiga assumes he isn’t supposed to hear. “Every opponent deserves your full strength.”

13\. Kagami grimaces. Yeah, he’d be pretty pissed if someone treated him like a joke when he was trying his hardest to win. The redhead pauses and thinks of Tatsuya before pushing that aside and squinting at the teal-haired teen. “Who’re you anyway?”

14\. “Ah, my apologies.” The pale teen bows. “I am Kuroko Tetsuya. Please take care of me.”

15\. Taiga offers a rough bow back. “Kagami Taiga. I’m not used to all this Japanese politeness, so just call me Taiga.”

16\. Kuroko nods. “Taiga-kun.”

17\. Taiga sighs and considers the other teen. “That’ll do. What’s your friend play, anyway?”

18\. Tetsuya’s eyes flick towards the ball in Taiga-kun’s hands as he adjusts his bag. “Basketball.”

19\. Kagami tosses the ball at Kuroko and the teen catches it easily. “Then you play too.”

20\. Kuroko nods. “But this is not a good stage for my skills. I am a shadow and it is my light who is errant.”

21\. “I didn’t get all of that,” Kagami shakes off his confusion, “but basketball’s basketball. Play me.”

22\. Kuroko offers the impression of a frown and bows in apology. “I will show you my skills tomorrow, if you will meet me here at 7pm.”

23\. Kagami shrugs. “Sure.” It’s not like he has any plans anyway and he’s always up for playing basketball.

24\. …

25\. Kuroko digs into his bag and offers Kagami the bag of candies Murasakibara had foisted off on him earlier that day. Evidently the giant had accidentally bought two bags of the vanilla sweets.

26\. Kagami eyes the sweets and then turns his attention to Kuroko. “You had dinner yet?”

27\. …

28\. Kagami heads into a paint shop and picks up his usual set of colors, thinks of Kuroko and grabs a can of bright teal spray paint.

29\. …

30\. Kagami eyes the blob. Yeah, there’s a reason he usually sticks to block lettering when he tags.

31\. ?...

32\. Kagami looks down at the shadow by his side. “You want anything?”

33\. Kuroko shakes his head. “I am fine, Taiga-kun.”

34\. Kagami eyes the teen’s small build and buys him a vanilla milkshake anyway. It’s what he ordered yesterday, so at least he knows Kuroko doesn’t hate it.

35\. …

36\. Daiki hears from Satsuki that Tetsu hasn’t been in the gym for four days now – and it’s not like they have practice the week after the Championship game, but Tetsu has never skipped even a possible day of practice and it makes him suspicious.

37\. A couple hours after school lets out, he heads over to Tetsu’s usual practice court, the public one near his house that for some reason is rarely ever used. Daiki figures everyone thinks it’s haunted – like they thought the third gym was haunted when Tetsu was practicing inside – and that’s why they leave it alone.

38\. …

39\. Daiki shows up to practice the next day and drags Tetsu to the convenience store afterwards to buy him vanilla ice cream. He doesn’t know who that gaijin is, but he’s not going to lose his shadow to some foreigner who isn’t even strong enough to offer him a decent challenge.

40\. …

41\. Kuroko’s words echo in his head. “How would you feel if someone held back against you? Wouldn’t that be insulting?”

42\. Taiga unlocks his phone and flips to the picture of Kuroko’s first tag, a picture he still hadn’t erased. NO REGRETS stares out at him in vibrant red and startling teal and the words he wasn’t supposed to hear finish the sentiment. “Every opponent deserves your full strength.”

43\. The redhead carefully unfastens the chain he keeps his ring on and stares at it. He knows he’ll regret it if he doesn’t face Tatsuya head on with all his strength and they can stay friends and brothers whether or not Tatsuya agrees. Cutting ties isn’t that easy and he’s never been one to give up.

44\. Taiga drops his necklace into his bag and straightens to face Tatsuya.

45\. …

46\. Kuroko tilts his head to the side and asks in his usual monotone, “Why Tsuya?”

47\. “Because your entire colorful, crazy team can be out there and you’re still the only one that captures my attention.”

48\. Kuroko offers a faint frown. “I disappear on the court, Ogiwara-kun.”

49\. Ogiwara grins back. “You’ve never seen yourself play.”

50\. “That’s physically impossible,” Kuroko deadpans.

51\. “No really, you can pair with any of them and you shine so bright it’s captivating.”

52\. “Anyone can dunk a basketball or stop a shot, make a free-throw or dribble the ball, but you’re the only person I’ve ever seen that can synchronize with anyone.”

53\. …

54\. Kuroko cannot support Ogiwara openly, but at least he can do this much.

55\. The next day on his way home, Shige flicks his eyes over the empty street ball court near his house and stops in place when he sees the message. The crisp lettering jumps off the wall and he stares at it until the setting sun paints the court in vibrant reds and yellows.

56\. The words stay at the front of his mind all night and he can’t help but grin as he prepares for bed. Must be fate he sees a message like that a week before he might play Teikō in the championship.

57\. …

58\. The only thing of interest down this hallway is the medical room and he will not have one of his pawns invalidated by worthless feelings. He always wins, so he’s always right and no one can stand against him.

59\. …

60\. Akashi looks disdainfully at the interloper. “What were you doing in that room?”

61\. …

62\. “The only ones who are allowed to look me in the eye as I speak are those that serve me. No one that opposes me is allowed to look down on me. Know your place.”

63\. …

64\. “In this world, winning is everything; winners are validated and losers are denied. Since I always win, I'm always right. If you oppose me…” Akashi pauses in the doorway and looks back over his shoulder, “I'll kill you, no matter who you are.”

65\. …

66\. Akashi picks up the fan with two fingers and drops it in the trash. “Tetsuya has no need of such cheap accoutrements.”

67\. …

68\. Shige thinks of the message on the street ball court, written so perfectly in the brilliant white and lush green of Meikō’s colors, as if it had been put there just for him. STAND STRONG.

69\. …

70\. The rest of them may be heartless monsters, but Teikō’s #6 faces him head on with close to all of his power and when Shigehiro’s team gives up, he refuses to yield and faces Aomine Daiki again and again within those white lines. If at least one of them will fight honorably with their whole power, then he will not give up.

71\. …

72\. Akashi looks down at Ogiwara and smiles, cold and hard. “You ruined my plan.”

73\. Shige blinks innocently. “Oh, did I?” He tilts his head to the side and shrugs. “Sorry about that, it was just such a fun game.”

74\. “You're beginning to annoy me.”

75\. …

76\. “I told you before, winning is everything. The victors write history. The losers are wiped from it. You might as well quit basketball entirely.”

77\. Ogiwara looks up at Teikō’s captain. “I don’t care what you think. I’m not ever going to give up and you’ll never manage to erase me.”

78\. “Don’t you see?” Akashi smiles, slow and satisfied, before he sweeps dismissive eyes across the broken forms of Meikō’s basketball team. “I already have. What use is a forward without a team?”

79\. The heterochromatic redhead answers his own question as he walks away and Ogiwara can hear the sickly sweet smile even if he can’t see it. “Why, he’s not worth anything at all.”

80\. …

81\. Imayoshi meets Kuroko face to face and he can feel it in his bones. Here is a king maker, the power in the shadows behind every throne, and Teikō knows not what they had, what they could have been – what they’ve lost forever more. Akashi may be a king, but it is Kuroko who is the king maker and Tōō will beg and plead, cry and bleed, to have him at their side as they forge their kingdom.

82\. …

83\. “Taiga-kun. I thought you returned to the United States.”

84\. Kagami ignores the comment. “I’ll treat you to a milkshake.”

85\. When they’re finally settled in their old booth at Maji Burger, Kuroko looks up at Kagami from over his vanilla milkshake. “Was there something you needed, Taiga-kun?”

86\. Kagami looks in the opposite direction from Kuroko and flushes. “What you said last time really helped. I just wanted to say thank you.”

87\. “I’m glad I could help.” Kuroko pauses and takes another sip of his milkshake. “Are you visiting your grandparents again?”

88\. “No, my parents sent me back to Japan for high school.”

89\. “Tōō is a good school,” Kuroko offers blandly. “Aomine-kun and I will both be attending.”

90\. Kagami grimaces. “Don’t know if I want to deal with that teme.”

91\. “Your understanding of Japanese has greatly improved, Taiga-kun,” Kuroko compliments. “And Aomine-kun is not quite as bad as he once was.”

92\. For all that Kuroko is scrupulously polite and they haven’t seen each other in a little over a year, the teal-haired teen still abides by Taiga’s original request, has no trouble calling him by his first name, and that makes something in Taiga relax. “Was more interested in facing off against those teammates of yours than playing with them.”

93\. “Aomine-kun and I are the only ones attending Tōō and you would have more chances to match up against Aomine-kun in practice than in games,” Kuroko comments blandly. “If you were lucky, you might be able to face him twice a season.”

94\. Kuroko tilts his head to the side. “You would be a good challenge for each other.”

95\. …

96\. “So the Generation of Miracles are all going to the same high school?”

97\. Kuroko shakes his head. “Akashi-kun intends for us to go to different teams and compete for the championship against each other.”

98\. “So where’s everyone going?”

99\. “Midorima-kun will be attending Shutoku, Kise-kun is going to Kaijo, Yosen succeeded in courting Murasakibara-kun, Aomine and I decided on Too,” Kuroko pauses, “and Akashi-kun chose Rakuzan.”

100\. Ogiwara lets out a low whistle. “Well, he certainly stacked the deck in his favor, didn’t he? They’ve got three of the five Uncrowned Kings and quite the reputation besides.”

101\. Kagami starts on his sixth burger. “It’ll be a good challenge.”

102\. Kuroko eyes the returnee. “Taiga-kun, Akashi-kun is not someone to take lightly.”

103\. Ogiwara pauses. That is so not fair, Tsuya won’t call him by his given name and they’ve know each other for years. “Akashi’s the hetero-chromatic redhead, right?”

104\. Kuroko nods and gratefully accepts the second milkshake Kagami offers.

105\. Ogiwara gives a dark grin. “Well, then I owe him something, don’t I?”

106\. …

107\. Aomine pulls out a chair and slumps down. “Akashi’s not easy to beat.”

108\. Kuroko eyes the three teens surrounding him. “The four of us could beat him.”

109\. All three forwards scoff and glare at each other over Kuroko’s head. None of them are interested in sharing their friend with the others and that’s more than clear.

110\. …

111\. Ogiwara shows up to visit Tetsu and Daiki could not be more displeased because he wears Tōō’s uniform and has a registration slip in hand. Tetsu is his shadow and he will not give him up.

112\. …

113\. Kagami eyes the huge crowd and his jaw drops open. “That’s a lot of people.”

114\. …

115\. The next day there’s a message painted on the concrete wall of a street ball court near Kagami’s house. It reads THiS iS JAPANESE LUNCH TiME RUSH and Kagami grins when he sees it.

116\. …

117\. Kuroko is not a traditional point guard, but he is a playmaker, a kingmaker, and Ogiwara brings the ball down the court for his king, switches from point guard to small forward with no problem, and Kuroko takes control of the game.

118\. …

119\. Akashi knocks Kuroko to his knees and looms over him.

120\. “What makes you think you can stand against me, Tetsuya? You were a mere shadow of our power and shadows are easily replaceable.” Akashi smiles, cold and slow. “You were never one of us, you never could have been.”

121\. Kuroko stares up at Akashi in shock as his former captain dismisses his presence and walks away.

122\. Ogiwara gives his partner a moment to collect himself before he extends a hand to help Kuroko to his feet. “Why don’t we show them why you’re more than just a shadow.”

123\. …

124\. Kagami carefully sneaks onto the street ball court near Kuroko’s house under the cover of night. He’s nowhere near as good as an artist as Kuroko is, but this is something he has to do. Ogiwara made his declaration in words, Aomine made his when he refused to let Kuroko go home alone, and Taiga will paint his in bold black letters three feet tall.

125\. Kuroko spots the blocky black lettering on his way to school and his shoulders relax. Akashi may consider him replaceable, but it’s clear his lights couldn’t be more opposed to that idea if they tried.

126\. When Kuroko comes to practice that afternoon acting as if Akashi’s words had never been uttered, Kagami grins and makes plans to swing by Kuroko’s court tomorrow to see his reply.

127\. Standing out from the dull gray wall in bold black, red, white, and teal is a single word. Kuroko has traced over his work, given it dimension and color and style, but it’s still the same message. KINGMAKER.

128\. …

129\. This is their kingdom come.


End file.
